Defying the Impact of Cancer
- Country star Toby Keith was diagnosed with stomach cancer in 2021, and though he says it’s been a “roller coaster,” he refuses to let the disease define him and continues to perform and inspire his fans.
- According to the National Cancer Institute, stomach or gastric cancer begins in the cells lining the stomach.
- Keith’s treatment has involved chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Chemotherapy involves cancer-killing drugs given to patients orally or intravenously. Immunotherapy is a cancer treatment method that uses the body’s immune system to fight cancer cells.
- Stomach cancer typically affects older people, with the average age of diagnosis being 68. About six of every 10 people diagnosed with stomach cancer each year are 65 or older. Symptoms can include: stomach pain, unintentional weight loss, and vomiting.
“I’m not gonna let this define what my future is,” he said in a sit-down interview released on Wednesday with News 9‘s Robin Marsh. “Cancer’s a roller coaster, you just sit and wait for it to go away — it may never go away.”
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“I feel great today,” he said. “It takes awhile. You have to be the captain of your own ship, and the doctors and the medical world are just like any other profession. You got a lot of people on these teams, and you just have to dig in and get everybody in the right place — get the right people and pray for the right results.”
It’s unclear what Keith’s current treatment is, as he said he was finished with chemo in late November, but in News 9’s interview, which was filmed “recently,” he shared he was still on treatment. In early November, he shared to Oklahoma’s Sellout Crowd he’s “trying ’em all,” acknowledging how blessed he is to be able to do so.
Sharing His Private Life
After first keeping details of his health to himself, Keith has started opening up more and more about his disease.
Typically more private on social media as well, Keith even shared a video reel on Instagram this past week, dishing out some music advice to his fans.
“A little advice for all the songwriters out there…,” he captioned the video of himself in sunglasses and a baseball hat.
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“Just toll away every day,” Keith guided, noting that most of his catalogue came from him writing “at least four or five songs a day.”
“You’ve gotta have volume, you’ve gotta have practice, and you’ve gotta keep your chops up and you gotta stay in the middle of the game.”
“I love seeing you on social media,” one follower expressed in the comments. “Something I never thought I would see. Thanks for letting us in if only for a few seconds at a time.”
“God bless you! Praying for you,” another supporter wrote.
Keith added a clip of “Don’t Let the Old Man In,” a tune the country star wrote in 2018, which he has said was inspired by his pal Clint Eastwood after a conversation they had about living life to the fullest.
Back on Stage
In September, the Oklahoma-born singer performed the emotional song at the People’s Choice Country Awards.
And I knew all of my life / That someday it would end / Get up and go outside / Don’t let the old man in / Many moons I have lived / My body’s weathered and worn / Ask yourself how you would be / If you didn’t know the day you were born
“Man that thing exploded,” Keith shared of the reaction. “When I hit the stage, everybody was wanting to see what’s left. What’s he got left?”
“I was pretty weak that day, though,” he continued with ToC.com. “I had been doing really, really good, and I went to dinner the night before and decided I would try to have a couple glasses of wine, and the next day I was really down. I shouldn’t have done that I guess, I didn’t know.”
“I got really sick and almost missed rehearsal, so I was really weak that night,” he added. “I was on chemo and was battling and it was tough.”
Toby Keith’s Diagnosis
Keith has been battling stomach cancer since 2021. According to the National Cancer Institute, stomach or gastric cancer begins in the cells lining the stomach.
After his diagnosis, he stepped away from the big stage to focus on his health. After nearly two years of battling the disease, the “American Soldier” singer gave a big update last summer summer in an interview with The Oklahoman that he’s “feeling pretty good.”
Keith’s treatment has involved chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Chemotherapy involves cancer-killing drugs given to patients orally or intravenously. Immunotherapy is a cancer treatment method that uses the body’s immune system to fight cancer cells. As mentioned previously, we do not know what kind of chemo or immunotherapy he is undergoing for treatment at this time.
“The side effects of immunotherapy are not, quote, forever,” medical oncologist Dr. Anna Pavlick from Weill Cornell Medicine tells SurvivorNet.
“Depending upon the severity depends upon how we manage it. Some patients will get diarrhea, and we can give them treatments to calm down their diarrhea, and it lasts a couple of days,” Dr. Pavlick explained.
Handling the Physical and Mental Effects of Cancer
Although the spunk in Keith’s personality and his singing abilities haven’t been majorly impacted as of late, he has lost some weight since his diagnosis. Body changes can be another side effect of cancer.
In a previous interview with SurvivorNet, psychologist Dr. Marianna Strongin shared some tips for cancer patients to help manage the emotional toll body changes can have during treatment.
She said people affected by the disease should learn to take ownership of the part (or parts) of their body most impacted by cancer treatment. She adds although they may represent “fear and pain,” they also represent “strength and courage.”
Dealing With Body Image During Cancer Treatment
“Research has found that when looking in the mirror, we are more likely to focus on the parts of our body we are dissatisfied with, which causes us to have a negative self-view and lower self-esteem. Therefore, I would like for you to first spend time gazing at the parts of your body you love, give them time, honor them, and then thank them,” Dr. Strongin said.
Dr. Strongin then suggested looking at the part or parts of your body impacted by the cancer or cancer treatment. She recommends creating a regular practice of accepting your body image because it helps you accept your cancer journey emotionally and physically.
“As you allow yourself to spend more time looking at all of you, you will begin having a new relationship with your body. It may not happen immediately, but with time, you can begin honoring and thanking your new body.”
Understanding Stomach Cancer
Stomach cancer occurs when an abnormal growth of cells begins in the stomach and becomes cancerous. Treatment options for this disease include surgery, medications, radiation and chemotherapy.
According to the American Cancer Society, there will be about 26,380 new cases of stomach cancer diagnosed in the United States this year (15,900 in men and 10,480 in women).
Stomach cancer typically affects older people, with the average age of diagnosis being 68. About six of every 10 people diagnosed with stomach cancer each year are 65 or older.
Symptoms of this disease include:
- Difficulty swallowing
- Feeling bloated after eating
- Feeling full after eating small amounts of food
- Heartburn
- Indigestion
- Nausea
- Stomach pain
- Unintentional weight loss
- Vomiting
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