Experts: Boseman’s death shows colon cancer’s impact

Experts said the death of actor Chadwick Boseman from colon cancer at 43, while tragic, could help shed light on the illness’s impact on the Black community, as well as the fact that more young people are contracting the disease.

On Friday, it was reported that Boseman — star of such highly-regarded films as “Black Panther,” “42” and “Marshall” — died after a four-year battle with colon cancer. While many were shocked by Boseman’s death, local authorities said it should be taken as a warning sign of how pervasive the disease is.

“No one is immune to this and we should never take signs and symptoms lightly no matter how young we are,” said Dr. Xavier Llor, medical director of the Colorectal Cancer Prevention Program at Yale Cancer Center and Smilow Cancer Hospital.

Colorectal cancer, often referred to just as “colon cancer,” occurs in the colon — part of the large intestine — or the rectum. It is often detected via screening, either through a test that looks for signs of cancer in a person’s stool or a visual exam of the colon or rectum commonly done through a colonoscopy.

The American Cancer Society reports that colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer diagnosed in both men and women, with an estimated 147,950 people expected to be diagnosed in 2020. It is the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States, with about 53,000 people expected to die from the disease in 2020.

Though the illness was originally more common in older people, experts said it’s increased among younger people in recent years. The ACS states that the average age of diagnosis dropped from age 72 in 2001-02 to age 66 during 2015-16; deaths from colorectal cancer among people younger than 44 have increased 2 percent per year from 2007-2016.

In 2020, the cancer society predicts, there will be about 18,000 cases of the cancer diagnosed in people younger than 50 — the equivalent of 49 new cases per day.

Llor said it’s unclear why the illness has become more common among the young, but it’s not an increase that can be explained by any kind of rise in cancer screenings. Screenings are typically not recommended

in those younger than 50, though the American Cancer Society has pushed for screening to start at age 45 for those at average risk.

The increase, then, “would definitely be linked to some environmental or lifestyle factor,” Llor said.

Not only was Boseman young, but he was also Black — a demographic that is 20 percent more likely to get colon cancer and 40 percent more likely to die from it than other racial and ethnic groups, according to the cancer society.

“When it comes to racial and ethnic background and colorectal cancer risk, African Americans have the highest colorectal cancer incidence and mortality rates of all racial groups in the U.S.,” said Patrice Lastrange Mack, spokesperson for the cancer society’s Northeast region. “The reasons for this are not fully understood.”

Locally, Dr. Daniel Lavy, colorectal surgeon with St. Vincent’s Medical Center in Bridgeport, agreed.

“It’s not clear whether the higher risk (in the Black community) is biologic, or due to lower access to screening” or some other factor, he said.

To help aid in earlier detection, it’s recommended that Black people, and other groups at high risk for colorectal cancer, begin being screened at age 45.

Lavy said a high-profile death such as Boseman’s highlights the need for greater awareness about colon cancer, both in the Black community and in general.

“His death speaks to a real need to reach out,” he said.

American Cancer Society / Contributed graphic This graphic from the American Cancer Society shows that Black Americans are at higher risk for colon cancer than other ethnic groups.

American Cancer Society / Contributed graphics Colon cancer screening guidelines from the American Cancer Society