Toby Keith’s Cause Of Death Explained

Known for his famed hits like “Made in America” and “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American),” Toby Keith defined his experience with stomach cancer as “a lot of dark hallways” in his News 9 chat. Stomach cancer, also known as gastric cancer, affects fewer people in the U.S. (1.5% diagnosed cases each year) when compared to its incidence across the globe, per Cleveland Clinic. World-over, stomach cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related death. Mongolia had the highest incidence in 2020, followed by Japan.

According to Dr. Sunnie Kim of the University of Colorado Cancer Center, the number of new cases in the U.S. has been declining in the last decade. “This may be for several reasons, and one of those is that the incidence of Helicobacter pylori bacteria is much lower in more resourced countries. This bacteria is a significant risk factor in stomach cancer, and it’s still prevalent in developing countries, where sanitation and clean water is still lacking,” explained Dr. Kim.

Most of the time, the cancer starts in your stomach lining. When left untreated, it can spread deeper into your stomach walls and even reach your liver and pancreas. In the U.S. it’s usually seen originating near the gastroesophageal junction. Although anyone can be diagnosed with the disease, being over 65 years of age, being male, and originating from East Asia, South or Central America, or Eastern Europe puts you at greater risk of developing stomach cancer. A family history of stomach cancer, previous stomach surgery, poor diet, alcohol use, smoking, and being obese are also considered risk factors.