[[{"@type":["BlogPosting"],"@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/chadwick-boseman-death-and-colon-cancer-in-younger-adults-black-americans\/#BlogPosting","@context":{"@vocab":"http:\/\/schema.org\/","kg":"http:\/\/g.co\/kg"},"url":["https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/chadwick-boseman-death-and-colon-cancer-in-younger-adults-black-americans\/","https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/chadwick-boseman-death-and-colon-cancer-in-younger-adults-black-americans\/"],"publisher":[{"@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/"}],"author":[{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/chadwick-boseman-death-and-colon-cancer-in-younger-adults-black-americans\/#BlogPosting_author_Organization","name":"Regional Cancer Care Associates"}],"inLanguage":"en-US","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/chadwick-boseman-death-and-colon-cancer-in-younger-adults-black-americans\/#BlogPosting_image_ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Chadwick-Boseman-2-three.jpg"}],"headline":"Chadwick Boseman death and colon cancer in younger adults, Black Americans","dateModified":"2021-11-11T11:57:25+00:00","datePublished":"2020-09-16T17:33:46+00:00","articleBody":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSeptember 16, 2020\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\nChadwick Boseman\u2019s death from colorectal cancer at age 43 highlights two troubling trends, RCCA oncologists say\nLast month\u2019s tragic news that Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman had died from colorectal cancer (CRC) at age 43 underscores two troubling trends in the fight against the disease, say physicians with Regional Cancer Care Associates, LLC (RCCA), one of the nation\u2019s largest networks of oncology specialists.\n\u201cFirst, while the overall occurrence of colorectal cancer has been declining since the mid-1980s, that favorable trend has been offset in recent years by an increased incidence in younger and middle-aged adults,\u201d explains Iuliana Shapira, MD, a board-certified medical oncologist and hematologist who serves as RCCA\u2019s Chief Medical Officer. \u201cWhile recent years have seen new cases of colorectal cancer fall by 3.3% annually in people age 65 and older, diagnoses in adults aged 50 years or younger have been going up by an average of 2.2% each year,\u201d Dr. Shapira says in citing data from the American Cancer Society (ACS).\n\u201cSecond, there is an increasing gap between Black people and white people in the rate of new diagnoses of colorectal cancer and in deaths from the disease,\u201d Dr. Shapira notes. The oncologist explains that while incidence and mortality rates for the two groups were similar in the 1970s and early 1980s, and have been declining in both groups since that time, the rates of decrease have been much greater among whites, leading to a growing disparity. Referencing statistics from the ACS, Dr. Shapira notes that while the CRC death rate for Blacks was 10% lower than that for whites in the early 1970s, it was roughly 50% higher three decades later. \u201cAccess to care \u2013 specifically to screenings such as colonoscopy \u2014 is one factor contributing to this disparity and must be addressed,\u201d says Dr. Shapira. She adds, however, that with guidelines recommending that most people begin CRC screening at age 45 or 50, it is also important for younger adults to know the potential indicators of colorectal cancer, and to consult their physician promptly if they experience symptoms.\n\u201cThose symptoms include blood in or on the surface of bowel movements; significant and lasting changes in bowel habits; persistent stomach pain, aches, or cramps; and unexplained weight loss,\u201d the cancer specialist explains. She adds that while the great majority of people with, for example, frequent stomach cramps will not have colorectal cancer, the symptoms nonetheless warrant investigation to address any issues that might exist and to provide peace of mind.\n\u201cIt also is very important to tell your physician about any close relatives who have had colorectal cancer or other cancer, particularly if those people developed cancer before they were senior citizens, because this may make it advisable to start CRC screening before the age recommended for most people,\u201d notes Dr. Shapira, adding that this advice pertains to all people, regardless of whether they are experiencing gastrointestinal symptoms.\nAdvances in treating colorectal cancer\nScreening and early detection have helped drive down CRC mortality in recent years, as has the availability of innovative new therapies, says Andrew M. Bernstein, DO, a board-certified medical oncologist and hematologist who practices with RCCA in Pompton Plains, N.J. \u201cWe\u2019re now able to employ targeted therapies that interfere with specific steps in the development and spread of cancer,\u201d says Dr. Bernstein. These targeted therapies generally have milder side effects than chemotherapy, the oncologist adds. While roughly one-third of patients with advanced colorectal cancer are candidates for targeted therapies, the medications are not effective in patients whose cancer is driven by certain genetic mutations. \u201cWe employ sophisticated genetic analysis of colorectal tumors to identify their mutation profiles and match the patient with the treatment strategy that will be most effective for him or her,\u201d says Dr. Bernstein. The cancer specialist adds that immunotherapies \u2014 drugs that enhance the cancer-fighting abilities of the body\u2019s immune system \u2013 are beginning to play a larger role in CRC following their initial use in lung cancer, melanoma, Hodgkin lymphoma, and other cancers.\nMohammad Pazooki, MD, notes that new evidence and strategies are also enabling cancer specialists to make more-effective use of three types of therapy that long have been the foundation of CRC treatment. \u201cSurgery, chemotherapy, and radiation continue to play important roles in our management of the disease, and in recent years we have made great strides in identifying which combinations of those treatments \u2014 and which sequences of their use \u2014 best serve a patient given the stage and nature of the cancer,\u201d says Dr. Pazooki, who practices with RCCA in West Hartford, Conn., and Manchester, Conn.\n\u201cCompared to just a few years ago, we have a greatly expanded ability to draw on different therapies, and various combinations and sequences of therapies, to create truly individualized treatment plans,\u201d says Dr. Pazooki. He adds that this personalized medicine approach is enhanced by growing knowledge of the genetic basis of colorectal cancer. \u201cFor example, we now know that in roughly 15% of cases of colorectal cancer \u2013 or 1 in 7 patients \u2013 the DNA has an impaired ability to repair mismatches in the genetic code, resulting in a condition called microsatellite instability, or MSI. In MSI, there is genetic hypermutability, or a very strong predisposition to mutation, which in turn causes cancer. Immunotherapy can be very effective in the setting of microsatellite instability.\u201d\nWhile close attention to developments at the molecular level help shape treatment decisions, Dr. Pazooki adds that at RCCA, the primary focus remains on the patient\u2019s overall well-being. \u201cBeyond seeing increased survival with colorectal cancer in recent years, we\u2019re also seeing a better quality of life in most patients,\u201d he says.\nJulianne W. Childs, DO, a medical oncologist and hematologist practicing with RCCA in Cape May Courthouse, N.J. and Marmora, N.J., says a reduction in treatment side effects plays a big role in this improved quality of life. \u201cSome of the newer therapies we use are better tolerated than chemotherapy. Meanwhile, we have many more resources in our toolbox to prevent the nausea, treat the diarrhea, and manage the blood-count side effects that can accompany chemo,\u201d Dr. Childs notes.\nAnother factor contributing to improved quality of life, she adds, is that patients with colorectal cancer have more cause for hope today than ever before. Dr. Childs explains that in addition to an expanded array of medications and evolving approaches to using long-standing therapies, promising new strategies are being employed in advanced CRC. \u201cWhen colon cancer spreads, the liver is one of the most common \u2013 and concerning \u2013 sites of metastasis. Now, recent research supports a more-aggressive approach to surgical resection \u2013 or removal \u2013 of multiple metastasis to the liver. Additionally, approaches such as transarterial radioembolization (TARE), which can utilize localized radiation, and transarterial chemoembolization (TACE), which uses chemotherapy in a localized fashion to specific affected areas of the liver, have been shown to increase survival,\u201d notes Dr. Childs.\nWhile the cancer specialist says that the advances of recent years are likely to be exceeded by the progress to be seen in the years just ahead, she stresses that preventing colon cancer needs to remain the primary focus of patient and physician alike.\nDr. Childs notes that obesity, lack of physical exercise, reduced fiber intake, and consumption of red meat all are believed to play a role in the increased CRC rate in younger adults. In addition to changing their lifestyle and dietary habits to address those risk factors, Dr. Childs stressed that most people should have a first colonoscopy at age 45, while those with a family history of colon cancer should have a colonoscopy 10 years before the age at which their relative was diagnosed.\n\u201cThe progress we\u2019ve made against CRC in recent years has been significant, but as Mr. Boseman\u2019s death reminds us, we still have a long way to go, including in terms of promptly diagnosing and effectively treating younger and middle-aged adults, as well as in eliminating disparities in care and outcomes,\u201d notes Dr. Shapira.\nWith more than 80-plus cancer specialists practicing at more than 20 care centers located throughout Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey and the Washington, DC area, RCCA provides care to roughly 22,000 new cancer patients and 225,000 established patients each year. RCCA offers those patients immunotherapy, targeted treatment, cell-based therapy and other cutting-edge treatments and diagnostic modalities, as well as access to clinical trials.\nTo learn more about RCCA or to schedule an appointment, call (844) 928-0089 or visit www.RCCA.com.\nColorectal Cancer by the Numbers:\n104,610 \u2014 estimated number of new cases of colon cancer in the U.S. in 202043,340 \u2014 estimated number of new cases of rectal cancer in the U.S. in 202053,200 \u2014 estimated number of deaths from colorectal cancer in U.S. in 20204% \u2014 percentage of men in U.S. who will develop colorectal cancer in their lifetime2% \u2014 percentage of women in U.S. who will develop colorectal cancer in their lifetime\nSource: American Cancer Society. Colorectal Cancer Facts & Figures 2020-2022. Available at https:\/\/www.cancer.org\/content\/dam\/cancer-org\/research\/cancer-facts-and-statistics\/colorectal-cancer-facts-and-figures\/colorectal-cancer-facts-and-figures-2020-2022.pdf. Accessed Sept. 3, 2020.\n \nwe are here for you\nFor more information or to schedule an appointment, call 833-630-7539. You can also schedule an appointment by calling the RCCA location nearest you.\nRELATED ARTICLES\nRegional Cancer Care Associates is one of fewer than 200 medical practices in the country selected to participate in the Oncology Care Model (OCM); a recent Medicare initiative aimed at improving care coordination and access to and quality of care for Medicare beneficiaries undergoing chemotherapy treatment.\n\u00a9 2022 Regional Cancer Care Associates. 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Fight cancer with leading-edge treatments, experienced skill and local caring\/convenience from one of the nation's largest networks of cancer specialists.","email":"info@regionalcancercare.org","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/","url":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/","sameAs":["https:\/\/twitter.com\/rgnlcancercare","https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/regionalcancercareassoc","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/10059183","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCFlVzU4UvZcyXBCe9ZSvAUQ"],"telephone":"+1 (844) 346-7222","name":"Regional Cancer Care Associates","@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/"}],{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"News","item":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Chadwick Boseman death and colon cancer in younger adults, Black Americans","item":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/chadwick-boseman-death-and-colon-cancer-in-younger-adults-black-americans\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]