- Related
- Dolly Parton
- health
- Duke Health
- Warnings
By Grace Hayba, WRAL Health Reporter
The death of country music legend Dolly Parton is putting new attention on a health condition she had openly struggled with for years: kidney stones.
On August 25, Parton’s team announced the 80-year-old philanthropist passed away after a brief battle with cancer. While the exact type of cancer was not disclosed, Parton had publicly discussed ongoing health issues involving kidney stones, including when she canceled her Las Vegas residency in May 2026
Parton’s team has not indicated that her history of kidney stones was related to her cancer diagnosis or death.
Duke Health urologist Dr. Charles Scales, who specializes in the prevention and treatment of kidney stones, said the condition is best known for its excruciating pain but can become life-threatening in certain circumstances.
“It’s very important for patients to understand that if you have pain that could be a kidney stone and also a fever, that can be a sign of a life-threatening infection, and you should go to the emergency room right away,” Scales warned
The danger can arise when a kidney stone blocks the flow of urine while an infection is present.
“When people have urinary infections and kidney stones that block up the kidney, that can lead to a severe infection called sepsis,” Scales said
Sepsis, which can progress quickly and become fatal, occurs when the body’s response to an infection begins damaging its own tissues and organs. The condition gained national attention following the sudden death of NASCAR’s Kyle Busch in May 2026.
Scales said there is some research showing an association between kidney stones and kidney cancer, but cautioned that scientists do not know whether kidney stones themselves increase the risk
The average lifetime risk of developing kidney cancer in the United States is about 1.7% to 1.8%, Scales said. Research suggests that risk may roughly double among people with a history of kidney stones.
While a doubling of risk may sound alarming, Scales stressed that the overall risk remains low. He also noted that kidney stones and kidney cancer share some risk factors, meaning the two conditions could occur more often in the same people without one necessarily causing the other
Scales added, “It may be that these two things are just running in parallel and maybe not really related. We don’t have the answer to that, but we do see there’s some association.”
Not all kidney stones will require a procedure. Scales said smaller kidney stones measuring less than five millimeters pass on their own about 80% of the time.
Some individuals may be more at risk than others for developing them. Scales previously spoke with WRAL about research examining why kidney stones recur and why even patients who know they need to increase their fluid intake often struggle to maintain the amount needed to reduce their risk.
“We know that on average, if you have one kidney stone, about 50% of individuals will have a second kidney stone within five years,” Scales said. “The recurrence rate is fairly high for kidney stone disease.”
Scales said some people may have a genetic predisposition to developing kidney stones, while for others, metabolic factors may play a role. Individuals with diabetes, gout, or who are overweight are all at a higher risk of developing kidney stones compared to those without those same conditions
To reduce the risk of recurring kidney stones, Scales recommends drinking plenty of fluids, limiting sodium, and consuming moderate amounts of calcium and protein
People experiencing multiple stones should also consider seeing a specialist, such as a nephrologist or urologist, to identify individual risk factors and develop a personalized prevention plan
