‘My Only Risk Factor for Colon Cancer Was Being African American,’ Writes Author Ibram X. Kendi as He Shares His Colon Cancer Scars in GQ

In a new piece for GQ magazine, Kendi writes about being diagnosed with colon cancer at 35, the early warning signs of his disease, and his experiences through treatment. Photographed in black and white, he also shared his colon cancer surgery scars. Kendi credits Chadwick Boseman’s passing with empowering him to be vulnerable by discussing his disease, writing, “Perhaps Chadwick Boseman's heartrending death from colon cancer on August 28, 2020exactly two years after my surgerypushed me over the edge. Soon, my survivor's guilt evolved into a survivor's courage and a willingness to be vulnerable.”

Ibram’s Colon Cancer Journey

Black Americans are at a higher risk of dying from this disease, and Kendi notes this for his readers. “African Americans are now 40 percent more likely to die from the disease than other racial groups. There are many possible causes for that disparity, chief among them that African Americans tend to have lower incomes, live in more polluted neighborhoods, and have less access to preventative care, early detection, and high-quality treatment than White Americans,” he says. “My only risk factor for colon cancer was being African American.”

Related: Close the Gap: Racial Disparities in Cancer Care Are Devastating Let's Change Things

Kendi writes that warning signs of the disease presented in fall 2017, and that he ignored them at first. They included: weight loss, fatigue and “constant trips to the bathroom.” The following January, at the urging of his partner, who is a physician, Kendi went in for a colonoscopy and body scans. At age 35, he was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer.

Related: New Study Shows 1 in 6 Colon Cancer Patients Have Hereditary Gene Mutations; The Importance of Genetic Testing

Kendi treated his cancer with chemotherapy and surgery. He writes, “As I proceeded through the cycles of chemo, the side effects compounded: the fatigue, the nausea, the toxicity on my tongue, the darkening and drying and blistering of the palms of my hands and soles of my feet.”

Today, Kendi is now cancer-free.

Choosing the Right Surgery for Your Colon Cancer While Avoiding Marketing Gimmicks

Screening for Colon Cancer

A colonoscopy is the primary screening method for colon cancer. During the procedure, the doctor is looking for polyps small growths on the colon that can turn into cancer. Dr. Zuri Murrell, a colorectal surgeon at Cedars-Sinai, explains the process in an earlier interview. He says, “When we’re looking at a colonoscopy for colorectal cancer screening, what we do is we’re looking for polyps, which are these small growths. When we see a polyp, we actually physically take the polyp out through the colonoscope.”

Related: Colon Cancer Screening is Extremely Important; Guidelines Now Say to Start at Age 45 if There Is No Family History

“What does that mean? That means we basically put a wire through with a little bit of a little flange at the end and we pull the polyp out,” says Dr. Murrell. “Now, note there is no pain with that. Inside the colon, there are no pain fibers. What happens is then when we take the polyp out, we send that to a lab. In about five to 10 business days, we get the results back.”

Related: The First African American Rockette, Jennifer Jones, Says She Has Colon Cancer A Wake Up Call

“And underneath the microscope, they can decide whether or not it is early cancer or whether it is just a precancerous polyp. 95% of polyps are precancerous polyps. And what does that mean? That means that it’s not a cancer yet. But it would have been a cancer ultimately if you just let it grow and grow and grow. Well, guess what? Now that it’s out of your body, there is no more risk for that polyp to become a cancer,” says Dr. Murrell.

Looking for Polyps During Colonoscopy

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