On August 28, 2020, the world lost Chadwick Boseman to colon cancer. He was 43.
His death shed light on how an illness that is typically associated with older people can also affect the young. Boseman was diagnosed with Stage 3 colon cancer in 2016 at the age of 43. He looked healthy and strong – based on his portrayal of iconic characters like baseball legend Jackie Robinson in 42, Godfather of Soul James Brown in Get On Up, and the mighty T’Challa in Black Panther.
“Chadwick Boseman’s death is a wake-up call,” says Carlo M. Cornejo, MD, Chair of the Department of Gastroenterology of the top hospital in the Philippines, Makati Medical Center (MakatiMed). “He showed us that colon cancer can occur in young people, and we must be vigilant in identifying red flags in our patients so that appropriate diagnostic tests can be performed.”
Filipinos are particularly at risk for colon cancer. According to Globocan 2020, an online database containing global cancer statistics and estimates of incidence and mortality for 36 types of cancers in 185 countries, colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in the Philippines, after breast and lung cancer.
Dr. Cornejo enumerates three takeaways from Boseman’s tragic death from colon cancer.
You’re never too young to get it. The actor is one among many under the age of 50 to be diagnosed with colon cancer. Individuals born after 1990 are twice as likely to develop colon cancer and four times as likely to develop rectal cancer, according to the US-based non-profit organization Colon Cancer Coalition.
Pay attention to persistent warning signs. “See your doctor if you have iron deficiency anemia, blood in your stool, unexplained weight loss, or you move ‘pencil stools,’ which are long, thin stools caused by a tumor constricting the colon or rectum,” says Dr. Cornejo. “Cramping, abdominal pain, and a persistent change in your bowel habits are not to be taken lightly.”
Get a colonoscopy. Young people without warning signs are typically not advised to undergo routine screening colonoscopies. “Find out if you need to be screened earlier by talking with your family physician, your primary healthcare provider, or your gastroenterologist,” says Dr. Cornejo.
For more information, contact MakatiMed On-Call at +632.88888 999, email [email protected], or visit www.makatimed.net.ph.