{"id":3283,"date":"2025-06-16T15:11:47","date_gmt":"2025-06-16T15:11:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/healthyretirementnews.com\/index.php\/2025\/06\/16\/gen-x-millennials-are-about-three-times-more-likely-than-their-parents-to-be-diagnosed-with-appendix-cancer-study-finds\/"},"modified":"2025-06-16T15:11:47","modified_gmt":"2025-06-16T15:11:47","slug":"gen-x-millennials-are-about-three-times-more-likely-than-their-parents-to-be-diagnosed-with-appendix-cancer-study-finds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/healthyretirementnews.com\/index.php\/2025\/06\/16\/gen-x-millennials-are-about-three-times-more-likely-than-their-parents-to-be-diagnosed-with-appendix-cancer-study-finds\/","title":{"rendered":"Gen X, millennials are about three times more likely than their parents to be diagnosed with appendix cancer, study finds"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/action-bar\/instances\/cmbscs4m1000r27qhcgzxa4oy@published\" data-label-id-prefix=\"action-bar-start-of-article\" class=\"action-bar\" data-dynamic-breakpoint-placement=\"{&quot;extraLarge&quot;:{&quot;placement&quot;:&quot;.layout-article-elevate__left&quot;}}\" data-expand-conditions=\"{&quot;follow&quot;:{&quot;extraLarge&quot;:{&quot;alwaysExpand&quot;:true}},&quot;shareOptions&quot;:{&quot;large&quot;:{&quot;maxNumOfActions&quot;:1},&quot;medium&quot;:{&quot;maxNumOfActions&quot;:1},&quot;extraLarge&quot;:{&quot;withAction&quot;:&quot;follow&quot;,&quot;maxNumOfActions&quot;:2}}}\">\n<div class=\"action-bar__overlay\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"action-bar__action-sheet\">\n<div class=\"action-bar__action-sheet--header\">\n<div class=\"action-bar__action-sheet--header-title\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"action-bar__action-sheet--header-close\">                            <\/div>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"action-bar__action-sheet--action\" data-title=\"follow\">\n<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/follow-topics-bar\/instances\/cmbscs4m1000v27qha2p75fe8@published\" data-unauth-redirect=\"\/account\/register\/follow\" data-embed-max-topics=\"\" class=\"follow-topics-bar follow-topics-bar_overlay follow-topics-bar--hide\">\n<div class=\"follow-topics-bar_overlay__inner\">\n<div class=\"follow-topics-bar_overlay__scroll-wrapper\">                  <button data-unselectable=\"true\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/chip\/instances\/cmbscs4m1000w27qh69x20ajb@published\" class=\"chip follow-topics-chip \" data-component-variation=\"follow-topics-chip\" data-component-name=\"chip\" data-zjs=\"click\" data-enable-interstitial=\"true\" data-override-success=\"\" data-label=\"Cancer\" data-id=\"4a656516-af99-424f-8e3a-a565b67503ec\" data-reset-on-log-out=\"true\">    <span class=\"chip__label\">Cancer<\/span>    <span class=\"chip__icon\">        <span class=\"chip__icon--check\"><\/span>        <span class=\"chip__icon--add\"><\/span>    <\/span><\/button>                  <button data-unselectable=\"true\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/chip\/instances\/cmbscs4m1000w27qh69x20ajb@published\" class=\"chip follow-topics-chip \" data-component-variation=\"follow-topics-chip\" data-component-name=\"chip\" data-zjs=\"click\" data-enable-interstitial=\"true\" data-override-success=\"\" data-label=\"Age &amp; 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By the next morning, it had gotten worse.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmbscsv1w00053b6md1c4h7fy@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cI had to go to the ER,\u201d said Williams, who lives in Brooklyn.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmbscsv1w00063b6m6y61gfav@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            At the hospital, he was diagnosed with appendicitis and had his appendix surgically removed. About a week later, he met with his medical team to get the staples removed and discuss next steps \u2013 and that\u2019s when he received shocking news.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmbscsv1w00073b6mpzhq3xpd@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cThey found a tumor sitting on my appendix, and they biopsied that tumor and determined it was cancer,\u201d said Williams, who was 48 at the time.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmbscsv1w00083b6m8ctwjn43@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cIt was actually a blessing,\u201d he said. \u201cThis was really just a godsend, in my eyes, and a blessing for me to detect the tumor \u2013 for the tumor to trigger my appendix to almost rupture for them to find it \u2013 because later on, they discovered it was stage III. Had it stayed in me for a while longer, it would have been stage IV,\u201d which is the most advanced stage of cancer and more difficult to treat.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmbscsv1w00093b6m2xhaa7kt@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Williams, who is now cancer-free after finishing<strong> <\/strong>treatment in November 2022, is among a growing group of appendix cancer patients in the United States who were diagnosed at a young age.    <\/p>\n<h2 class=\"subheader inline-placeholder subheader-elevate vossi-subheader vossi-subheader--size-h2\" data-editable=\"text\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/subheader\/instances\/cmbsct6i000173b6msgjb95rr@published\" data-component-name=\"subheader\" id=\"alarming-and-worrisome\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">        \u2018Alarming and worrisome\u2019<\/h2>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmbscs6sa00003b6mxva4ku33@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            The appendix, which plays a role in supporting the immune system, is a small pouch-like organ that is attached to the large intestine at the lower right side of the abdomen.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmbscsv1w000b3b6mddkvxrwv@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Although cancer of the appendix is rare \u2013 typically, it\u2019s estimated to affect about 1 or 2 people for every 1 million in the United States each year \u2013 diagnoses are rising sharply among Generation X and millennials, according to a new study.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmbscsv1w000c3b6mb4tazlgp@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Compared with people born from 1941 through 1949, incidence rates of appendix cancer have more than tripled among people born between 1976 and 1984 and more than quadrupled among people born between 1981 and 1989, according to research published this week in the Annals of Internal Medicine. These increases in incidence were found to have occurred from 1975 through 2019.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmbscsv1w000d3b6mtitale77@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cIt\u2019s alarming overall,\u201d said Dr. Andreana Holowatyj, the lead study author and an assistant professor of hematology and oncology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmbscsv1w000e3b6mpqmikkhc@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cWe\u2019re seeing some of these generational effects for cancers of the colon, the rectum, the stomach, and so that\u2019s one of the reasons why we were curious to explore this in rare appendix cancers. But nonetheless, the rates and trends which we observed were alarming and worrisome,\u201d she said.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmbscsv1w000f3b6mfwbdwp84@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            The researchers on the new study \u2013 from Vanderbilt University Medical Center, West Virginia University and the University of Texas Health Science Center \u2013 analyzed data on 4,858 people in the United States, 20 or older, who had been diagnosed with appendix cancer between 1975 to 2019. The data came from the National Cancer Institute\u2019s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program database.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmbscsv1w000g3b6m4bboku68@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            The data was separated into five-year age groups and showed rising rates in appendix cancer incidence by birth cohort, particularly among people born after 1945, the researchers wrote in the study.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmbscsv1w000h3b6mpjfb8so3@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Although the new study did not examine specifically why this incidence is on the rise, the researchers say it\u2019s \u201cunlikely\u201d to be explained by advances in screening for the disease or diagnostic tools.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmbscsv1w000i3b6mhh1drxq8@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cThere are no standardized screening techniques for appendiceal cancers. Many of them are incidentally found after presentation of something like acute appendicitis,\u201d Holowatyj said.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmbscsv1w000j3b6mrfro0amy@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Rather, the trend may be tied to \u201cenvironmental exposures that may increase risk for generations now entering mid-adulthood,\u201d the researchers wrote. And similar trends \u201chave also been reported for colon, rectal, and gastric cancer,\u201d suggesting that possible risk factors may contribute to gastrointestinal cancers as a whole.    <\/p>\n<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/related-content\/instances\/cmbsd2poz001m3b6mg0i4lw09@published\" data-component-name=\"related-content\" class=\"related-content-elevate related-content--article\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n<header class=\"related-content__title related-content__title-text\" data-editable=\"content.title\">Related article<\/header>\n<section class=\"related-content__body\">\n<div class=\"related-content__image image__related-content\">\n<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/image\/instances\/cm8evogb4004j26p2dvmd3yzw@published\" class=\"image-elevate image__hide-placeholder\" data-image-variation=\"image\" data-name=\"GettyImages-1173790532.jpg\" data-component-name=\"image\" data-observe-resizes=\"\" data-breakpoints=\"{&quot;image--eq-extra-small&quot;: 115, &quot;image--eq-small&quot;: 300, &quot;image--eq-large&quot;: 660}\" data-original-ratio=\"0.6665\" data-original-height=\"1333\" data-original-width=\"2000\" data-url=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/gettyimages-1173790532.jpg?c=original\" data-editable=\"settings\">\n<div class=\"image__container \" data-image-variation=\"image\" data-breakpoints=\"{&quot;image--eq-extra-small&quot;: 115, &quot;image--eq-small&quot;: 300, &quot;image--show-credits&quot;: 525}\">           <\/div>\n<div class=\"image__metadata-container media__metadata-container\">\n<div class=\"image__metadata media__metadata\">\n<div class=\"image__caption attribution\">    <span data-editable=\"metaCaption\" class=\"inline-placeholder\">Unrecognizable  woman serving vegetarian meal to friends at home on  plate<\/span>  <\/div><figcaption class=\"image__credit\">miodrag ignjatovic\/E+\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"related-content__headline\">        <span class=\"related-content__headline-text\" data-editable=\"content.headline\">Reduce your risk of colon and rectal cancer with these basic steps<\/span>      <\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmbscsv1w000k3b6m4uogg5q2@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            For instance, obesity has been identified as a risk factor for appendix cancer diagnoses and is recognized as a risk factor for colon cancer, Holowatyj said, adding that identifying what risk factors might be driving these trends in cancer incidence could help reveal ways to prevent disease.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmbscsv1w000l3b6mntooqoga@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cThe fact that we\u2019re seeing these trends parallel across other cancers of the gastrointestinal tract does tell us, or suggest, that there may be both shared and distinct risk factors that can contribute to cancer development across younger generations in the gastrointestinal tract,\u201d Holowatyj said.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmbscsv1w000m3b6mv69jjsst@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cThat\u2019s going to be important to understand \u2013 what are those shared factors, or how do those risk factors differ, both in magnitude and absolute risk across these gastrointestinal cancer types \u2013 to help us support the development of effective prevention strategies and ultimately aim to reduce this burden or reverse these trends,\u201d she said.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmbscsv1w000n3b6mz23jyyzi@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            There are no specific screening recommendations for appendix cancers, but symptoms of the disease typically include abdominal or pelvic pain, bloating, nausea and vomiting \u2013 which often can mimic symptoms of appendicitis. Appendix cancer may be treated with surgery, in which the appendix is removed. If the cancer has spread, patients are often given chemotherapy.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmbscsv1w000o3b6mkrstfp0b@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cThis is a disease where, if not caught before the appendix ruptures, tumor cells disperse throughout the abdominal cavity often,\u201d Holowatyj said. \u201cThat\u2019s why up to 1 in every 2 patients are diagnosed with metastatic disease\u201d or cancer that has spread.    <\/p>\n<h2 class=\"subheader inline-placeholder subheader-elevate vossi-subheader vossi-subheader--size-h2\" data-editable=\"text\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/subheader\/instances\/cmbsdvmkr00013b6m6477x8sl@published\" data-component-name=\"subheader\" id=\"rising-cancers-in-young-adults\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">        Rising cancers in young adults<\/h2>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmbscsv1w000z3b6modgr7gx5@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            The study showing an increase in incidence of appendix cancer among younger adults comes as no surprise to Dr. Andrea Cercek, co-director of the Center for Early Onset Colorectal and GI Cancers at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, who treated Williams.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmbscsv1w00103b6mtsyesa0r@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cWe\u2019ve known that early-onset appendix cancer is part of the bigger story of early-onset GI cancers, including colorectal cancer,\u201d said Cercek, who was not involved in the new research.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmbscsv1w00113b6m8sv1gjll@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            She has seen the trend firsthand among her own patients \u2013 but it still remains unclear what specific factors may be driving these increases.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmbscsv1w00123b6m72ijf8ut@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cThere are a lot of suspects, including lifestyle changes, dietary changes. People talk about obesity, less activity. But there\u2019s nothing that quite fits everyone. And then there are environmental changes,\u201d Cercek said. \u201cI think it\u2019s probably some type of combination, something multifactorial, but we have not yet identified it. There is thankfully now a lot of work, a lot of research going into this.\u201d    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmbscsv1w00133b6m5dyitk8v@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Despite the rising incidence, Cercek emphasized that appendix cancers remain uncommon.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmbscsv1w00143b6mwsnhbv64@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cIt is very rare, even though it\u2019s rising,\u201d she said. \u201cHowever, it is an important part of this overarching story of the rise in cancer in young adults.\u201d    <\/p>\n<h2 class=\"subheader inline-placeholder subheader-elevate vossi-subheader vossi-subheader--size-h2\" data-editable=\"text\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/subheader\/instances\/cmbsctt16001a3b6mz0xvz09h@published\" data-component-name=\"subheader\" id=\"i-have-everything-to-be-grateful-for\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">        \u2018I have everything to be grateful for\u2019<\/h2>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmbscsv1w000q3b6mti75d71t@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Williams\u2019 journey after his cancer diagnosis was not easy, he said, but he remains grateful for his care team. After he was diagnosed, he sought treatment at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, where he underwent additional surgery and received chemotherapy.    <\/p>\n<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/image\/instances\/cmbsf2u4900053b6mftwnpsyz@published\" class=\"image_large-elevate image_large__hide-placeholder\" data-image-variation=\"image_large\" data-name=\"Chris-pre-Right-Hemicolectomy-at-MSK-2022.02.09.jpg\" data-component-name=\"image\" data-observe-resizes=\"\" data-breakpoints=\"{&quot;image_large--eq-extra-small&quot;: 115, &quot;image_large--eq-small&quot;: 300, &quot;image_large--eq-large&quot;: 660}\" data-original-ratio=\"0.6666666666666666\" data-original-height=\"2000\" data-original-width=\"3000\" data-url=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/chris-pre-right-hemicolectomy-at-msk-2022-02-09.jpg?c=original\" data-editable=\"settings\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n<div class=\"image_large__container \" data-image-variation=\"image_large\" data-breakpoints=\"{&quot;image_large--eq-extra-small&quot;: 115, &quot;image_large--eq-small&quot;: 300, &quot;image_large--show-credits&quot;: 525}\">           <\/div>\n<div class=\"image_large__metadata-container media__metadata-container\">\n<div class=\"image_large__metadata media__metadata\">\n<div class=\"image_large__caption attribution\">    <span data-editable=\"metaCaption\" class=\"inline-placeholder\">Chris Williams underwent surgery at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.<\/span>  <\/div><figcaption class=\"image_large__credit\">Courtesy Chris Williams<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmbscsv1w000r3b6mxfjg084o@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cFor me, I could look at it in a couple of different ways. I could moan. I could complain. I could say, \u2018Woe is me.\u2019 Or I could be grateful that this was found and that there was a solution in terms of treatment,\u201d Williams said. \u201cIt could have ended up being something that killed me, and because it didn\u2019t, I feel like I have everything to be grateful for.\u201d    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmbscsv1w000s3b6ma88si8ey@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Before his cancer diagnosis, Williams thought he was doing everything right. He was eating a mostly healthy diet and exercising regularly, but as a project manager at the time<strong> <\/strong>for the state of New York, he also was experiencing a lot of stress.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmbscsv1w000t3b6mgx8ej1sl@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            At age 42, he had his first heart attack, he said. He had a second heart attack a few weeks after his appendix cancer diagnosis. Then a third happened shortly after his surgery at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, he said. And just last year, Williams had a fourth heart attack. Blockages were found in his heart, and he said he was treated with stenting, in which a flexible tube was placed in the arteries to increase blood flow to the heart.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmbscsv1w000u3b6mcstvob1h@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cA lot of what I\u2019ve experienced has been due to stress,\u201d Williams said.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmbscsv1w000v3b6m63ydgh9i@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cMy personality has been one where I internalized a lot. Especially among men, we tend to internalize a lot because we feel like we have to carry the weight of the world on our shoulders,\u201d he said. \u201cBut in so doing, as you\u2019re internalizing, you\u2019re making yourself sick. That internalization leads to stress, and that can lead to heart disease, that can lead to strokes, that can lead to cancer.\u201d    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmbscsv1w000w3b6md9uvzspb@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Inspired by his own health challenges, Williams has launched the Brooklyn-based nonprofit Heart, Body &amp; Soul to connect communities of color, particularly Black men in underserved communities, with physical and mental health tools as well as increased communication with health care providers to help improve their overall health.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmbscsv1w000x3b6mvbap2py9@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cWe also teach them how to advocate for themselves as well because a big part of the challenges that are faced, especially when having conversations with men of color, is the concern of not being seen or heard when they get into a hospital,\u201d Williams said, adding that he emphasizes the importance of listening to your body and having a primary care physician.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmbscsv1w000y3b6mjsfba8kt@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cEspecially in the age where we see things happening like men and women being diagnosed at earlier ages with various diseases, I really think it\u2019s important for us to start prioritizing putting a care team together,\u201d he said. \u201cWe have to take a more holistic approach to how we treat ourselves and how we take care of ourselves.\u201d    <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<div>This post appeared first on cnn.com<\/div>\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Cancer Age &amp; Generations See all topics Facebook Tweet Email Link Link Copied! 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