結(jié)腸癌幸存者說，是時候認真對待這種疾病了

結(jié)腸癌幸存者說，是時候認真對待這種疾病了

In a year that has already brought so much tragedy and loss, Chadwick Boseman's death at age 43 seems unthinkably cruel and unfair. How could such a vibrant performer have been suffering through late-stage colon cancer?

在已經(jīng)帶來如此多悲劇和損失的一年里，查德威克·博斯曼在43歲時去世，似乎是不可想象的殘酷和不公平。這樣一個充滿活力的表演者，怎么會患上晚期結(jié)腸癌呢?

His four years of illness were the ones in which he rose to global superstardom with the role of T'Challa in the Marvel Studios 2018 film "Black Panther," along with a string of other dynamic performances. He seemed so gloriously alive, so energized to be in the world.

在患病的四年里，他憑借在漫威工作室2018年的電影《黑豹》中飾演特查拉，以及其他一系列充滿活力的表演，一躍成為全球超級巨星。他似乎活得如此光彩耀人，充滿活力地生活在這個世界上。

Why did he hide his illness from the public? Why did we not see it?

他為什么對公眾隱瞞他的病情?為什么我們沒有看到它?

I am a survivor of stage III colon cancer, and I'll tell you why I think most people don't talk about it. Almost nobody wants to think about colon cancer, and very few of us survivors feel comfortable speaking openly about it. And that needs to change.

我是第三期結(jié)腸癌的幸存者，我會告訴你為什么我認為大多數(shù)人不談論它。幾乎沒有人愿意去想結(jié)腸癌，我們幸存者中很少有人愿意公開談論它。這需要改變。

Colorectal cancer is the third most common type of cancer in the United States and the second leading cause of cancer deaths. I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't know that because this type of cancer has got a serious public relations problem.

結(jié)腸直腸癌是美國第三大最常見的癌癥類型，也是癌癥死亡的第二大原因。如果你不知道，我不會感到驚訝，因為這類癌癥有一個嚴重的公共關(guān)系問題。

All cancers are hideous. But some types have been made, if we're being honest, a lot more palatable for public consumption. The fight against breast cancer, in particular, enjoys a robust publicity campaign. Many celebrities have been up-front about their battles with it.

所有的癌癥都很可怕。但如果我們誠實地說，有些癌癥類型對公眾來說更容易接受。特別是在抗擊乳腺癌方面，開展了一場聲勢浩大的宣傳運動。許多名人都坦率地談到了他們與它的斗爭。

Colorectal cancer, in contrast, involves parts of the body we'd rather never talk about, let alone conceive of having surgery on. It's cancer of the colon or rectum. (The rectum is the passageway that connects the colon to the anus.)

相比之下，結(jié)腸直腸癌涉及的是我們永遠不會談及的身體部位，更別提要動手術(shù)了。這是結(jié)腸癌或直腸癌。(直腸是連接結(jié)腸和肛門的通道。)

And yet, we must. Colorectal cancer cases are on track to increase by 90% by 2030, according to leading cancer institute MD Anderson Cancer Center. We don't know why yet. And that it is increasingly being diagnosed in younger patients.

然而，我們必須這樣做。據(jù)領(lǐng)先的癌癥研究所MD安德森癌癥中心稱，到2030年，結(jié)腸直腸癌病例將增長90%。我們還不知道原因。而且越來越多的年輕患者被診斷出患有這種疾病。

The American Cancer Society just two years ago lowered its recommended age for colorectal cancer screening, from 50 to 45. That was the year I received my own colon cancer diagnosis at the age of, yep, 45.

就在兩年前，美國癌癥協(xié)會將結(jié)腸直腸癌篩查的推薦年齡從50歲降至45歲。那一年，我被診斷出患有結(jié)腸癌，當時我45歲。

Like many people under 50, I was hesitant to take my own symptoms seriously. I would timidly ask doctors what could be causing my abdominal pain and accept their answers that it was probably just run-of-the-mill irritable bowel syndrome. This isn't uncommon: Many doctors are still dismissive of colorectal cancer symptoms in younger patients, a study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology recently found.

像許多50歲以下的人一樣，我不愿認真對待自己的癥狀。我會膽怯地問醫(yī)生是什么導致了我的腹痛，并接受他們的回答，即那可能只是普通的腸道易激綜合癥。這并不罕見:《臨床腫瘤學雜志》最近的一項研究發(fā)現(xiàn)，許多醫(yī)生仍對年輕患者的結(jié)腸直腸癌癥狀不屑一顧。

Finally, a gastroenterologist insisted on a colonoscopy, more than two years after I started experiencing symptoms. That simple procedure found a sizable tumor. Immediate surgery was ordered, followed by months of chemotherapy. The cancer was categorized at a terrifying stage III, and I went into shock. No one I knew had dealt with colon cancer. No one in my family had it. It just didn't seem possible.

最后，在我開始出現(xiàn)癥狀兩年多之后，一位胃腸病學家堅持要我做結(jié)腸鏡檢查。這個簡單的手術(shù)發(fā)現(xiàn)了一個相當大的腫瘤。醫(yī)生要求立即手術(shù)，隨后進行了數(shù)月的化療。(我的)癌癥被分類到可怕的第三階段，我陷入了休克。我認識的人中沒有一個人曾經(jīng)患過結(jié)腸癌。我們家沒人得過。這似乎是不可能的。

Colorectal cancer doesn't care about embarrassment, though. It's on the rise in a scary way, and unless we start dismantling the taboo around it, it will claim many more victims. So I'm vowing to start talking about it more, no matter how cringey it is for me or other people.

不過，結(jié)腸直腸癌并不在乎尷尬。它正在以一種可怕的方式上升，除非我們開始消除它周圍的禁忌，否則它將導致更多的受害者。所以我發(fā)誓要開始更多地談論這件事，不管對我或其他人來說有多難堪。