(BlackDoctor.org) — U.S. singer-songwriter Bobby Womack has been diagnosed with colon cancer, according to a message posted by his longtime friend Bootsy Collins on Facebook. This news comes after Womack was hospitalized this weekend with a bout of pneumonia.
Funk bassist Collins said he had spoken to the soul musician over the weekend.
“He Wanted You All to Know That He Loves You & Thxs for the Prayers,” Collins wrote. “Doc says He Is In 1st Stage of Colon Cancer, He is Very Up Beat About His Future, we laughed and joked before we hung up.”
Representatives for Womack could not immediately be reached for comment.
Womack, 68, was rushed to hospital in Houston, Texas earlier this month due to severe shortness of breath, and was scheduled to undergo “a minor heart procedure.”
His best-known songs as a vocalist include “Woman’s Gotta Have It” and “If You Think You’re Lonely Now”, and he also wrote hits for many other acts. Womack’s “It’s All Over Now”, which the Rolling Stones covered in 1964, gave the rock band its first British number one.
In 2010, Womack collaborated with British band Gorillaz on their album “Plastic Beach” and is due to release a new studio album “The Bravest Man in the Universe” in June.
He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2009.
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Colon Cancer & Blacks
Colon cancer is cancer that forms in the tissues of the colon (the longest part of the large intestine) or the rectum. African American men have less than a 5-year survival rate for colon cancer, as compared to non-Hispanic white men, and should therefore be screened for the disease at 40 (10 years earlier than their White counterparts).
There is no single cause of colon cancer. Nearly all colon cancers begin as noncancerous (benign) polyps, which slowly develop into cancer.
You have a higher risk for colon cancer if you:
• Are older than 60
• Are African American of eastern European descent
• Eat a diet high in red or processed meats
• Have cancer elsewhere in the body
• Have colorectal polyps
• Have inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis)
• Have a family history of colon cancer
• Have a personal history of breast cancer
African American men have less than a 5-year survival rate for colon cancer, and should therefore be screened for the disease at 40 (10 years earlier than their White counterparts).
Common signs and symptoms of colorectal cancer include:
• A change in the frequency of bowel movements
• Diarrhea, constipation, or feeling that the bowel does not empty completely
• Either bright red or very dark blood in the stool
• Stools that are narrower than usual
• General abdominal discomfort such as frequent gas pains, bloating, fullness, and/or cramps
• Either bright red or very dark blood in the stool
• Stools that are narrower than usual
• General abdominal discomfort such as frequent gas pains, bloating, fullness, and/or cramps
• Weight loss with no known reason
• Constant tiredness
• Vomiting
If you think that you may have colon cancer, or have questions about being screened for it, be sure to talk to your doctor immediately.
