Chadwick Boseman battles with Colon Cancer

 

Chadwick Boseman battles with Colon Cancer

Black Panther actor Chadwick Boseman died of colon cancer at the age of 43, his family said in a statement. The actor was struggling with the disease for the past four years since he got diagnosed with it. The actor passed away in his home at Los Angeles with his wife and his family by his side. He was diagnosed with stage three colon cancer in 2016.

Boseman became everyone's favourite after he played the Marvel Superhero Black Panther in the 2016's Captain American: Civil War.

Here is everything you need to know about the cancer that took his life.

Colorectal cancer is a cancer that starts in the colon (large intestine) or rectum. Both of these organs are in the lower portion of your digestive system. The rectum is at the end of the colon.

The American Cancer Society (ACS) estimates that about 1 in 23 men and 1 in 25 women will develop colorectal cancer during their lifetime.

Your doctor may use staging as a guideline to figure out how far along the cancer is. It’s important for your doctor to know the stage of the cancer so they can come up with the best treatment plan for you and give you an estimate of your long-term outlook.

Colon cancer often causes no symptoms in the earliest stages. However, symptoms may become more noticeable as it progresses.

Signs and Symptoms:

• ·         diarrhea or constipation
• ·         changes in stool consistency
• ·         loose, narrow stools
• ·         blood in the stool, which may or may not be visible
• ·         abdominal pain, cramping, bloating, or gas
• ·         continual urges to defecate despite passing stools
• ·         weakness and fatigue
• ·         unexplained weight loss
• ·         irritable bowel syndrome
• ·         iron deficiency anemia

If the cancer spreads to a new location in the body, such as the liver, it can cause additional symptoms in the new area.

Prevention

There is no guaranteed way to prevent colon cancer. However, some preventive measures include:

• ·         maintaining a healthy weight
• ·         exercising regularly
• ·         consuming plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains
• ·         limiting the intake of saturated fats and red meat
• ·         People should also consider limiting their alcohol consumption and quitting smoking.

Surgery

In the earliest stages of colorectal cancer, it might be possible for your surgeon to remove cancerous polyps through surgery. If the polyp hasn’t attached to the wall of the bowels, you’ll likely have an excellent outlook.

If your cancer has spread into your bowel walls, your surgeon may need to remove a portion of the colon or rectum along with any neighboring lymph nodes. If at all possible, your surgeon will reattach the remaining healthy portion of the colon to the rectum.

If this isn’t possible, they may perform a colostomy. This involves creating an opening in the abdominal wall for the removal of waste. A colostomy may be temporary or permanent.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy involves the use of drugs to kill cancer cells. For people with colorectal cancer, chemotherapy commonly takes place after surgery, when it’s used to destroy any lingering cancerous cells. Chemotherapy also controls the growth of tumors.

Chemotherapy drugs used to treat colorectal cancer include:

• ·         capecitabine (Xeloda)
• ·         fluorouracil
• ·         oxaliplatin (Eloxatin)
• ·         irinotecan (Camptosar)

Chemotherapy often comes with side effects that need to be controlled with additional medication.

Radiation

Radiation uses a powerful beam of energy, similar to that used in X-rays, to target and destroy cancerous cells before and after surgery. Radiation therapy commonly occurs alongside chemotherapy.

All right folks, thank you for reading. Next time you want to over smoke or drink, take precaution.