What killed Toby Keith? Country music star died after two years of battling rare stomach cancer

Country music icon Toby Keith, who rose to fame for his deep voice and patriotic hits, died Monday of stomach cancer at the age of 62.

The singer-songwriter announced his cancer diagnosis in the summer of 2022 at the age of 60, saying he was treated with radiation, chemotherapy and surgery.

Stomach cancer – or gastric cancer – is rare in the United States, accounting for only 1.5 percent of new cancer diagnoses each year. That’s about 16,000 men and 10,000 women.

And the American Cancer Society reports that the number of cancer cases has decreased every year for the past decade.

However, experts say the majority of patients are diagnosed at a late stage, when the disease is difficult to treat and may have spread to other parts of the body. Currently, only a third survive five years after diagnosis.

This is because too often the symptoms are mistaken for other more common problems, such as irritable bowel syndrome and food allergies.

Below, DailyMail.com reveals red flags to look out for and what you can do to reduce your risk.

Stomach cancer, also called gastric cancer, begins when the cells in the stomach begin to grow out of control.

In the earliest stages people rarely experience symptoms.

There are several types of stomach cancer, but the most common are adenocarcinomas grow in the inner lining of the stomach, called the mucosa.

There are two types of adenocarcinomas: colon cancer, which often has a better prognosis, and diffuse, which grows faster and is more difficult to treat.

It is not known what type of stomach cancer Mr Keith had.

Symptoms of the disease include poor appetite, losing weight without trying, abdominal pain, heartburn or indigestion, nausea, vomiting blood, black stools, swelling of the abdomen, fatigue and weakness.

Some of these symptoms can also be caused by other types of cancer, the ACS says, so you should visit your doctor if you experience worsening or long-lasting symptoms.

Stomach cancer is uncommon in the United States and accounts for only 1.5 percent of new cancer diagnoses each year.

The risk is slightly increased for men: 1 in 101 men is diagnosed with stomach cancer.

Rates have gone down and down over the past ten years by approximately 1.5 percent per year.

In the U.S., about 26,900 people (16,160 men and 10,730 women) will be diagnosed and about 10,900 (6,490 men and 4,390 women) will die in 2024, the ACS estimates.

The cancer is more common in older people, with the majority of people diagnosed at age 65 or older. The average age of diagnosis is 68, but Mr Keith was only 60 when he was diagnosed and 62 when he died.

Risk factors include alcohol and tobacco use, previous stomach surgery, some stomach polyps, genetics and some genetic conditions, obesity, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection, and certain occupations, including those in the coal, metal, or rubber industries.

Diet, geography and ethnicity are also risk factors.

Diets high in salty or pickled foods, processed, grilled or charcoal meats, and low in fruit appear to increase the risk of stomach cancer.

Additionally, according to the ACS, stomach cancer is more common in East Asia, Eastern Europe, South America and Central America and among Hispanic Americans, African Americans, Native Americans, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

Although the disease is rare in the US, approximately 1 million people worldwide will be diagnosed this year and the disease is one of the most common causes of cancer deaths worldwide, according to the World Health Organization.

There are several treatment options once a stomach cancer diagnosis has been made.

Mr Keith said he underwent radiation, chemotherapy and surgery.

Treatment options include surgical procedures to remove the cancer, removal of the stomach, laser therapy, radiation therapy to kill cancer cells, chemotherapy to kill and stop the growth of cancer cells, and immunotherapy, which uses the body’s own immune system to fight the cancer .

The survival rate for stomach cancer can vary widely, but according to the National Cancer Institute, the average five-year survival rate is 36 percent.

That rises to 75 percent for cancer that is only in the stomach.

For cancer that has spread beyond the stomach to nearby organs, the five-year survival rate is 35 percent, but for stomach cancer that has spread beyond the stomach to a distant part of the body, this drops to just seven percent.