Following Chadwick Boseman's Death, Gastroenterologist Says Colon Cancer in Young People on the Rise
According to gastroenterologist Dr. Mark Pochapin, cases of colorectal cancer in younger people are on the rise.
The death of Chadwick Boseman, known as the Black Panther to many fans, is shining a spotlight on colon cancer. According to gastroenterologist Dr. Mark Pochapin, cases of colorectal cancer in younger people are on the rise.
Pochapin, who treated Katie Couric’s late husband Jay Monahan who died at the age of 42, said tell-tale signs to look out for are blood in the stool, a change in the size or shape of stool, abdominal pain, or unexplained weight loss.
"We’re seeing more cases in young people and they take longer to diagnose, either because they ignore the symptoms, or the medical community takes longer to diagnose them because they’re not expecting a cancer diagnosis in someone so young," he said.
Timothy Mitchell was diagnosed with stage III colon cancer in 2016, the same year as Boseman. "I was really deflated,” Mitchell said of Boseman's death. “My wife called me and told me, and she said, ‘He had the exact same thing you had.'”
Mitchell told Inside Edition he related to Boseman’s struggle, feeling “drained” after just a few hours of work, but following surgery and 12 rounds of chemotherapy, Mitchell is now cancer free.
“This is detectable,” he said. “It’s treatable and beatable, so understanding that and getting the proper helping and trying to get in front of it as best you can, you can be a survivor.”
RELATED STORIES
Trending on Inside Edition

Civil War Veterans in Previously Unmarked Graves Honored Decades Later
News
26-Year-Old Georgia Woman Dies in Skydiving Accident
Human Interest
Texas School Shooter's Behavior in Months Before Massacre Concerned Those He Knew, But Was Left Unreported
News
Father of Sandy Hook Victim Calls for Action in Wake of Texas School Shooting
Politics
Pit Bull Named Chata Is Lone Survivor of Private Plane Crash That Killed 2 Pilots
Inspirational