Toby Keith shared his abdomen most cancers prognosis 2 years earlier than his dying. Here is what to know concerning the illness, from signs to survival charges.

Singer-songwriter Toby Keith has died after being recognized with stomach cancer two years earlier. He was 62.

The “Courtesy of the Pink, White and Blue” singer “handed peacefully final evening on Feb. 5 surrounded by his household,” a statement posted on X (previously referred to as Twitter) learn. “He fought his struggle with grace and braveness.”

Whereas the assertion did not specify his reason for dying, Keith was recognized with abdomen most cancers in 2022. He instructed E! News final yr that his most cancers journey was “a little bit little bit of a curler coaster.”

“It is at all times zero to 60 and 60 to zero, however I really feel good at present,” he stated on the time.

Keith first shared his prognosis in a June 2022 Instagram post, noting that he had been recognized with abdomen most cancers the earlier fall. “I’ve spent the final six months receiving chemo, radiation and surgical procedure,” he wrote. “To date, so good. I want time to breathe, recuperate and loosen up.”

Keith’s dying raises a whole lot of questions on abdomen most cancers, together with who it sometimes impacts and the way it’s handled. Here is what it’s essential know.

What’s abdomen most cancers?

Abdomen most cancers, also referred to as gastric most cancers, is most cancers that begins within the cells that line the abdomen, based on the National Cancer Institute (NCI). There are a number of varieties of abdomen most cancers, however the commonest is adenocarcinoma of the abdomen, which begins within the mucus-producing cells within the innermost lining of the abdomen, the NCI says.

“Most cancers within the abdomen can both develop as a tumor or can unfold alongside the layers of the wall,” Dr. Rutika Mehta, a medical oncologist with Moffitt Most cancers Middle, tells Yahoo Life.

How frequent is abdomen most cancers?

An estimated 26,890 new instances of abdomen most cancers are anticipated to be recognized within the U.S. this yr, based on the American Cancer Society (ACS). About 10,880 individuals are anticipated to die from abdomen most cancers within the U.S. this yr, per the ACS.

Abdomen most cancers largely impacts older folks, however except for age, risk factors embrace being obese or overweight; consuming a weight loss program excessive in salted meals and grilled or processed meats with few or no fruits; smoking; consuming excessive quantities of alcohol and having a household historical past of abdomen most cancers.

“Males are barely extra in danger than girls,” Mehta says. “The common age of prognosis is 68 years, however the charge of latest prognosis is on the rise for youthful folks.”

The ACS additionally notes that, within the U.S., the illness is extra frequent amongst Hispanic Individuals, African Individuals, Native Individuals, Asian Individuals and Pacific Islanders in contrast with non-Hispanic white folks.

Abdomen most cancers signs

Abdomen most cancers often does not have signs early on, or they’re obscure if a affected person experiences them, the ACS says. Nevertheless, if somebody has signs, they could embrace:

When abdomen most cancers spreads past the abdomen to different elements of the physique, the NCI says it could trigger:

Abdomen most cancers therapy

Abdomen most cancers therapy often is determined by the affected person and the way superior their most cancers is, the ACS says. Nevertheless, it’s usually handled with surgical procedure, chemotherapy, focused drug remedy, immunotherapy or radiation remedy, with the ACS noting that one of the best approaches use two or extra varieties of therapy.

“Having the precise prognosis and staging is important to deciding which therapy is one of the best,” Mehta says. “I urge folks recognized with abdomen most cancers to hunt for a multidisciplinary session.”

Whereas survival charges rely so much on the place the most cancers is positioned and the way a lot it has unfold, the five-year survival rate of sufferers with abdomen most cancers is 36%.

“For sufferers whose most cancers has not unfold, surgical procedure is an opportunity for ‘treatment,'” Mehta says. However, she notes, there’s a 40 to 50% danger that the most cancers will come again, particularly throughout the first two years after surgical procedure.

“In additional superior instances, we’re not but at some extent the place we are able to supply sufferers a ‘treatment,'” she provides. Nevertheless, there’s therapy for superior abdomen most cancers instances that may “extend survival and provides them a greater high quality of life.”