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Stuart Scott

Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2013 12:52 pm
by SkiFletch
Those of you with a Y chromasome are more likely to know this (or who he even is), but ESPN anchor Stuart Scott announced that he is battling cancer again. That in and of itself is troubling to me, but why can't we just call a spade a spade and say he has colon cancer? I've not found him publicly saying what type of cancer he has as he never specifies. But we do know it was found in tissue resulting from the removal of his appendix... Not much faith required to believe it was a colon primary.

So why can't he/"we" say it? Our attitudes as a society regarding colon cancer NEED to change and I truly wish high-profile folks like Stuart Scott would just come out and say they have CRC. Part of the reason this disease is so deadly is that folks refuse to get screenings out of fear of the unkown, and just plain being uncomfortable with anything involving poop. Get over it and maybe you'll live longer. If a man like Stuart Scott says he had CRC and proved that he can work through his treatments, maybe we'd get a few more people in for a scope. They would have a more positive image of what treatment looks like instead of sticking their heads in the sand fearing for what it might be.

I see it all the time when I tell people I'm a CRC patient for the first time. In that moment of realization there is often a look of fear mixed with disgust. Some few even espouse that in their first words. Tell someone you have breast cancer or pancreatic cancer and the response is all sympathy. Truly not everyone has the wrong reaction and many folks "get it" but I'd say they are at the very least in the minority compared to those who do. And until high profile people and celebrities start admitting they have COLON cancer, those attitudes will never change. We all poop... Get over it

Re: Stuart Scott

Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2013 1:01 pm
by mommak
I couldn't agree more. The majority of people I tell are instantly sympathetic and quite shattered that I am battling cancer but rarely do they ask any questions about the cancer its self. Just how are you and will I be ok. My greatest wish would be that they rush out and get whatever scan they have been putting off in their lives because it couldnt posibly happen to them. Surprise! It can and will happen to you. If there is a family link to a cancer, go get tested. I waited 2 years 2 long. I am stage 3c. Thats from "we caught it early". A stage 1 can become a stage Iv is my mantra now. Please dont mess around people. An hour out of your life could save it.

Re: Stuart Scott

Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2013 1:06 pm
by BrownBagger
I was thinking about that the other day, Fletch. You know, everybody loves the ta-tas. Our affected region, not so much.

Remember George W.'s press secretary, Tony Snow, the TV anchor-turned cabinet member? He had (and died of) colon cancer, but you had to dig around to find that out. He could have helped publicize it but, for whatever reason, didn't. Too bad.

Re: Stuart Scott

Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2013 1:19 pm
by Lara239
SkiFletch wrote:Those of you with a Y chromasome are more likely to know this (or who he even is), but ESPN anchor Stuart Scott announced that he is battling cancer again. That in and of itself is troubling to me, but why can't we just call a spade a spade and say he has colon cancer? I've not found him publicly saying what type of cancer he has as he never specifies. But we do know it was found in tissue resulting from the removal of his appendix... Not much faith required to believe it was a colon primary.

So why can't he/"we" say it? Our attitudes as a society regarding colon cancer NEED to change and I truly wish high-profile folks like Stuart Scott would just come out and say they have CRC. Part of the reason this disease is so deadly is that folks refuse to get screenings out of fear of the unkown, and just plain being uncomfortable with anything involving poop. Get over it and maybe you'll live longer. If a man like Stuart Scott says he had CRC and proved that he can work through his treatments, maybe we'd get a few more people in for a scope. They would have a more positive image of what treatment looks like instead of sticking their heads in the sand fearing for what it might be.

I see it all the time when I tell people I'm a CRC patient for the first time. In that moment of realization there is often a look of fear mixed with disgust. Some few even espouse that in their first words. Tell someone you have breast cancer or pancreatic cancer and the response is all sympathy. Truly not everyone has the wrong reaction and many folks "get it" but I'd say they are at the very least in the minority compared to those who do. And until high profile people and celebrities start admitting they have COLON cancer, those attitudes will never change. We all poop... Get over it


Amen...well said. I dont understand it either...I dont feel like Colon Cancer should have a stigma to it! All humans poop!
I think, if I remembering right, that breast cancer used to have a stigma to it years ago but so much awareness is made now it has overcome it and there is NOTHING glamorous about getting your woman parts smashed in between two plates... so uncomfortable! Wish we could do the same with Colon Cancer.
My mother will not go get a colonscopy (and she is 65!!!!!!) and i have begged her...all her children have. She thinks it is "gross" or something. I think I may just have to go in for one to motivate her.

Re: Stuart Scott

Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2013 1:53 pm
by JerseyGirl
Thanks for posting this! I have been following his story, and was shocked to read on the news this morning that it came back. I didn't think it was colon cancer for a second but it makes sense! It's a shame he is public about the cancer itself but not the type if colon is the case:( maybe he is even a lurker on the cc :D

Re: Stuart Scott

Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2013 2:18 pm
by hannahw
It always makes me happy when a public figure chooses to identify their colon cancer as such. There's no doubt that awareness (especially of the importance of colonoscopy) is a huge tool in the fight against CRC. People like Katie Couric do a huge public service allowing their colonoscopy to televised. People like Sharon Osbourne do a huge public service by talking about their CRC is a direct manner. Tackling the embarrassment people seem to feel about their bodily functions, the gross factor and words like rectum will go a long way towards improving screening and removing the stigma attached to CRC.

Having said that, I don't begrudge Stuart Scott his privacy. We really don't know why he has kept the type of cancer to himself. Maybe he's embarrassed. Maybe he just values his privacy when it comes to medical issues. Maybe if he had pancreatic cancer he wouldn't want that made public either. We really don't know. Generally, if you have cancer, you might tell your employer you have cancer so your employer is aware that you may need certain accommodations (especially schedule-wise). But a lot of people wouldn't specify the type of cancer. It's not relevant. Stuart Scott telling the public he has cancer is, imo, basically him making a disclosure to his employer (in as much as his audience is the reason he has a job). He tells his audience he has cancer so they know he may take time off, not always be at his best, etc. Anything beyond that isn't relevant unless he wants to take on the responsibility of raising awareness, etc. Even someone like Michael J Fox, who is now praised for being an amazing advocate for Parkinson's research wasn't always so forthcoming. He was diagnosed in 1991 but didn't publicly disclose his disease until 1999.

Lots of people choose to keep the details of their medical problems (cancer or otherwise) to themselves. I don't think it's reasonable to expect someone to compromise their medical privacy simply because they're in the public eye. Not every person wants to be a spokesperson for their disease and that is their right.

I have much respect for those public figures who take their colon cancer fight public. But I have no problem with those who don't. It's asking a lot of anyone. It's not right for everyone.

Re: Stuart Scott

Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2013 2:28 pm
by RayGirl
Just from being vocal myself, I have had 4 friends (3 in their 30s) go get screened after having some suspect bowel issues.

#1- found nothing wrong with colon, search continues for source.
#2- discovered that colon wall had thinned in spots, mostly likely related to pregnancy and position of the baby in that last months...
#3- found a mass, that that the doctor was shocked when didn't test positive for cancer,he warned it was on the verge of becoming malignant and she is screened frequently now.
#4- discover cancer in the small intestines.

If one non-celebrity can get 4 friends to get over the embarrassment to get tested, imagine what could happen if all these celebrities with "stomach" cancers did the same. Of course then again, maybe some of them are actually stomach cancers but statistically speaking they can't all be just stomach cancer right?

Re: Stuart Scott

Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2013 2:32 pm
by alphagam
One of the female colon cancer survivors I find that it does annoy e that so many obituaries of "young" people do not mention one word about the cause of death unless it is breast cancer. Why are so many families afraid/shy about the cause of death? Drives me nuts.

Re: Stuart Scott

Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2013 4:09 pm
by lauragb
I think it's even harder for people to say and hear rectal cancer. I have a friend who had anal cancer, she has been very open about calling it what it was and her treatments. When I tell people I had
rectal cancer, I sometimes feel like I need to put them at ease, even though it's my a$$ we're talking about.

Re: Stuart Scott

Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2013 4:20 pm
by hannahw
...so many obituaries of "young" people do not mention one word about the cause of death unless it is breast cancer. Why are so many families afraid/shy about the cause of death? Drives me nuts.

Why? A forty year old friend of mine died Friday from a heart attack. His family is not including his cause of death in the obituary. They'd rather use the obituary to celebrate he loved rather than how he died.

I wonder, but certainly do not know, whether this is somewhat caused by living in an internet world? Privacy is a notion that has almost become extinct in this society. Every little detail of a person's life is out there for public consumption. I'm often amazed at what friends share via facebook. If you are not a private person and want to share details of your life publicly, that's great, but why should there be a reciprocal obligation shared by everyone else? Keeping personal information private, even if it is less common these days, is not a wrong choice. It reflects personal values and that should be respected, not criticized.

Re: Stuart Scott

Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2013 5:09 pm
by PGLGreg
(1) I never heard of Stuart Scott -- does that mean I'm not a real man? (2) Every human society has taboos -- should we also give up the ones against harming women and children? (3) Speaking of taboos, you want to be careful about expressions like "call a spade a spade".

Re: Stuart Scott

Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2013 6:20 pm
by mymom
I read this morning it was stomach cancer. I am not sure it is colon cancer. The article pointed to stomach cancer as the primary cancer.

Re: Stuart Scott

Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2013 6:23 pm
by robinkaye
Eric, Tony Snow talked about colon cancer all the time. He probably didn't say much when he was doing his daily press briefing. His mother had it and died (I believe) in her forties. He had a yearly colonoscopy: One year clear, the next year stage 4.
He preached about getting colonoscopies constantly - not that it did him a hell of a lot of good.

Now...Hugo Chavez and his mysterious pelvic cancer, something tells me he doesn't want to say rectal cancer. I could be wrong but just a feeling.

Robin

Re: Stuart Scott

Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2013 7:02 pm
by Bev G
Hi, Fletch. A little O/T, but maybe not. My son-in-law is also an anchor on ESPN. I think there are lots of them and I don't know if my SIL knows the man you are speaking about. I know that mine IS sensitive to cancer issues, especially as his father-in-law (DH) now has stage IV lymphoma. I am going to ask him if he knows Scott and, if so, if there would be any sort of platform at ESPN to perhaps do some sort of public service announcement about CRC---or to do something to raise awareness, anyway.

Bev

Re: Stuart Scott

Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2013 7:26 pm
by hannahw
Tell someone you have breast cancer or pancreatic cancer and the response is all sympathy. Truly not everyone has the wrong reaction and many folks "get it" but I'd say they are at the very least in the minority compared to those who do.

I don't think this is true, but at the very least, I don't think there's objective evidence to support it. In my experience with my Dad, he's never received anything but kind words of support when he tells people he has colon cancer. No one has drawn a distinction - cancer sucks.

And until high profile people and celebrities start admitting they have COLON cancer, those attitudes will never change.

If this is true, it's a sad statement about society today that people would need a celebrity to get them to open their minds. I think if you look at awareness campaigns in general, many started at a grass roots level and succeed because of the tireless efforts of everyday people. Celebrity spokespeople may have broader reach, but I don't think they're the be-all-end-all when it comes to raising awareness and changing attitudes.

Maybe Stuart Scott is active in his personal life in terms of raising awareness? Who knows? My Dad wouldn't go on TV to promote colon cancer awareness, but he absolutely talks to friends when it's appropriate. There are lots of different ways to contribute to the cause.

if there would be any sort of platform at ESPN to perhaps do some sort of public service announcement about CRC---or to do something to raise awareness, anyway.
In general, I don't see why ESPN couldn't do something like this (a lot of their viewers will be impacted by colon cancer at some point in their lives), but I don't think it should attempt to involve Stuart Scott. First, we don't know that he has CRC. Second, his privacy is his business. If he wanted to do a PSA, he would.