Toby Keith’s death has made all of us sad. A battle with stomach cancer came as a shocker to the fans. The country music legend was an Oklahoma native. He was 62 years old at the time of his death. The country legend Toby Keith stomach cancer was diagnosed in June 2022. However, the legendary country musician did not allow his fight against cancer to slow him down. The singer-songwriter passed away on Monday. He was surrounded by his family at the time. Per the statement on his website, he said he fought his fight with “grace and courage”.
When was he diagnosed with cancer?
The country star announced his cancer diagnosis in June 2022. He said that he had been receiving radiation, chemotherapy, and surgery for six months at that time. The legend said in his post that he was looking forward to spending this time with his family. Moreover, he confirmed that he would see the fans sooner rather than later. His posts on Instagram suggested that he was keen to join back.
Moreover, in November 2022, he was awarded the 2022 BMI Icon Award at the BMI Country Awards. The event celebrates the songwriters and music publishers as the 50 most-performed country songs of the year. Furthermore, in June, he hosted a live auction. However, it was part of the 19th annual Toby Keith & Friends Golf Classic weekend.
Moreover, his two-day hometown charity event raised funds for the Toby Keith Foundation’s OK Kids Korral. It is a free lodging service for Oklahoma City children and their families undergoing cancer treatment.
What is Stomach Cancer?
Stomach cancer, which is also common as gastric cancer, starts in the cells that line the stomach. As per the National Cancer Institute (NCI), there are several types of stomach cancer. However, the most common type of this disease is adenocarcinoma of the stomach. This begins in the mucus-producing cells in the innermost lining of the stomach.
Inflammation of these cells results in cellular damage. However, that leads to alterations in cell function and mutations in the cell DNA. Moreover, the cumulative damage to these cells can eventually develop into cancer. Moreover, this has a risk of causing a problem inside the stomach and spreading to other organs.
An estimated 26,890 new cases of stomach cancer are expected to be diagnosed in the U.S. this year. This is stated as per the reports of the American Cancer Society (ACS). Moreover, about 10,880 people are expected to die from stomach cancer in the U.S. this year.
Stomach cancer mostly affects older people. However, other than age, some risk factors include being overweight or obese and eating a diet high in salted foods. Furthermore, grilled or processed meats with few or no fruits, smoking, consuming high amounts of alcohol and having a family history of stomach cancer are the main factors.
How long did he battle with cancer?
He spoke to a source that he was diagnosed with stomach cancer around the fall of 2022. Moreover, he spent six months receiving chemo, radiation and surgery and everything was going well then. However, he confirmed that he needed time to breathe, recover and relax. Keith posted the news on his official social media accounts.
Although the singer was under observation and required time to recover, he remained optimistic. Moreover, he expressed his longing to return to the screen in an exclusive interview with The Oklahoman last year. There, he said he was continuing with chemo, that his tumour had shrunk by a third, and his blood tests had looked good.
What were His latest works and recognitions?
Keith performed at the inaugural People’s Choice Country Awards on September 28 last year. It was where he was also honoured with the Country Icon Award. It was presented to him by Blake Shelton. Moreover, he performed his song “Don’t Let the Old Man In” after accepting the award.
The legendary singer performed dual Las Vegas “rehab” shows. Moreover, he referred to them as rehab shows, as these allowed him to get reacquainted with performing amid his diagnosis. However, these shows would be the final performances before he died.
Conclusion
The legendary singer passed away on Monday. He was 62 at the time of his death. However, the legendary country musician did not allow his fight against cancer to slow him down. The country star announced his cancer diagnosis in June 2022. He said that he had been receiving radiation, chemotherapy and surgery for six months at that time. The legendary singer performed dual Las Vegas “rehab” shows. However, these shows would be the final performances before his death.
Also read: