Actor Chadwick Boseman Died of Colorectal Cancer at age 39. His Wife and Hundreds of Others are Looking for Answers

Simone Ledward-Boseman, wife of deceased actor Chadwick Boseman, makes it clear that she is not writing about her actor husband and his death from colon cancer; she is writing because of her husband’s death from colorectal cancer (CRC).

As she has noted in StatNews, he was too young, and they were not prepared. This applies to so many others under the age of 50. Those numbers are rising.

According to the American Cancer Society, the number of young adults diagnosed with CRC under the age of 55 has nearly doubled when compared to a decade ago. More young people are dying from the disease every year. Why?

Her message is clear. Colorectal cancer is no longer reserved for people over the age of 50 but the reason for the increase has not yet been determined.

Research must be made available to discover why people are caught unaware and then how to push back. There has been a lot of advertising to emphasize colon cancer screening but again it has left out an important segment of the population.

The age to start screening is now 45 but as we see in Chad’s case, his cancer was already advanced by the time symptoms appeared. Chad died at the age of 39. This is unfortunately becoming all too common.

Although it is agreed that the need for more research exists, the program is in competition many other diseases all pulling in the same direction.

About the Numbers

While CRC is listed in second place in the U.S. as a leading cause of cancer deaths, its numbers are growing rapidly in the under 50 age group. An ACS report has moved CRC to first place on the list of men under 50 with the disease, while women with CRC rank second behind breast cancer.

A Serious Oversight

We can now see the devastating impact made by, and will continue to be made by, colorectal cancer. Yet it is the only one of the top five cancers that does not have its own research program in accordance with the DOD’s Congressionally Directed Medical Program.
It is to be noted that pancreatic, prostate, breast and lung cancers each have their own programs. It is a certainty that not having dedicated funding prevents the administrators from being able to adequately understand and treat CRC.

The mission is clear. Early-age onset CRC research must be prioritized. The Fight Colorectal Cancer advocacy organization together with hundreds of CRC survivors and their caregivers are out there pushing for desperately needed funding.

Near and Yet So Far

Although hundreds of CRC survivors and caregivers back the military’s Peer Reviewed Cancer Research Program, and CRC research qualifies for funding, CRC must still compete against other cancers for a very limited amount of dollars. To give some perspective, in 2022 the Cancer Research Program received 66 applications. 25 applications were approved. Only nine received funding.  

Nearly double the number of young adults under 55 are being diagnosed with colorectal cancer today compared to a decade ago, and more are dying from the disease each year, according to the American Cancer Society. Not only does the lack of research prevent innovation, but it is also responsible for more lives lost. Congress must prioritize early-onset CRC and ensure that its research receives needed funding. This would result in significantly reducing the CRC burden and untimely deaths.

cancer Chadwick Boseman colorectal cancer

Last modified: June 14, 2024