Remembering the 'Peanuts' Creator 24 Years Later
- “Peanuts” cartoonist Charles Schulz died from colon cancer in February 2000 at age 77. His cancer was discovered while undergoing surgery for a blockage in his abdomen. Although he was treated with surgery and chemotherapy, the cancer was already in advanced stages, making it harder to treat.
- Over the years, colon cancer treatment advances have become more precise with targeted treatments, meaning doctors often test for specific changes or genetic mutations that cause cancer growth.
- Colon cancer is very treatable and curable if caught early. Colon cancer screenings can involve at-home tests such as Cologuard, but a colonoscopy is more effective, according to SurvivorNet experts. A colonoscopy involves a long, thin tube attached to a camera used to examine the colon and rectum for polyps (small growths in the colon that aren’t yet cancerous). If found, doctors can remove them during the procedure.
- Colorectal screenings are recommended to begin around age 45. However, people at increased risk – such as having a family history of the disease – may want to screen sooner. Discussing your screening options with your doctor is recommended.
Cartoonist Charles Schulz passed away from colon cancer 24 years ago. However, his legacy remains as his timeless “Peanuts” gang is featured in a new series starring the Franklin character streaming on Apple TV.
Since Shultz’ passing at age 77, a greater emphasis has been placed on colon cancer awareness and treatments, giving people diagnosed a fighting chance.
⛳ Today is the first day of the 2023 Masters Tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club!
Read MoreThis Peanuts comic strip was first published on April 5, 1977.
📷: Charles M. Schulz playing golf at an unidentified tournament, c. 1985. © Cheryl Traendly pic.twitter.com/QxVMf9A4bi — Charles M. Schulz Museum (@SchulzMuseum) April 7, 2023Colon cancer, or colorectal cancer, affects your large intestine (colon) or the end of your intestine (rectum).
Schulz made his way into cartooning at the insistence of his mom. He seemingly found his calling and thus created the infamous “Peanuts” gang in 1945. According to the Schulz Museum, his iconic cartoons featuring characters like Charlie Brown, Lucy, Snoopy, and others first appeared in 1950.
Schulz’ cartoons were syndicated worldwide and were later turned into an animated series.
💤 Visit “Dream a Little Dream,” on view through May 8, to learn more and enjoy sweet dreams with the Peanuts gang: https://t.co/cgid9Ea2k8
This original Peanuts comic strip was first published on September 14, 1983.
(3/3) pic.twitter.com/fkzZiWDuY9
— Charles M. Schulz Museum (@SchulzMuseum) March 22, 2023
According to The New York Times, Schulz was diagnosed with cancer after having “surgery for a blocked abdominal aorta.” At the time, details were kept quiet about his diagnosis. He was treated with surgery and chemotherapy, but the cancer was already in advanced stages, meaning it had spread to other parts of his body.
Schulz died in February of 2000, just a few months after his diagnosis.
Expert Resources on Colorectal Cancer
Colon Cancer Treatments Have Improved Since Schulz Was Diagnosed
“There are a lot of advances being made in colorectal cancer,” Dr. Heather Yeo, a colorectal surgeon at Weill Cornell Medicine, previously told SurvivorNet.
Colon cancer treatment is more targeted, meaning doctors often test for specific changes or genetic mutations that cause cancer growth.
Biomarkers are key to tailoring specific treatments. Biomarkers are molecular patterns becoming more commonly used in colon cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and management. According to the National Cancer Institute, a biomarker is “a biological molecule found in blood, other body fluids, or tissues that is a sign of a normal or abnormal process, or a condition or disease,” such as cancer.
“In colon cancer, we’re starting to look more and more at people’s biomarkers, so we’re starting to take the cancers, sequence them, understand where the different mutations are to figure out whether or not someone has a normal gene here or an abnormal gene,” Dr. Yeo explained.
“Those are the areas that people want to be able to target a little bit more. We’re getting close to more what we would call precision medicine, meaning we can start looking at people’s genetic mutations and think about how they might respond to different drugs.”
There are different types of biomarkers, including DNA, proteins, and genetic mutations found in blood, tumor tissue, or other body fluids. The biomarkers most commonly used in colon cancer management are:
Genetic mutations within the tumor, such as MMR/MSI, KRAS, BRAF, and HER2
Bloodstream carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA)CEA is a protein produced by most tumor cells (but not all) and can be picked up in the bloodstream. High CEA levels do not establish a colon cancer diagnosis. However, higher CEA levels correlate with a worse prognosis and potential metastasis. Carcinoembryonic antigen is important for post-treatment follow-up to ensure the cancer hasn’t returned. Be sure to check with your doctor before treatment starts to ensure a CEA blood sample has been obtained.
More on Treating Colon Cancer
Surgery and chemotherapy are common approaches to colorectal cancer.
Some examples of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved chemotherapy drug treatments include:
- FOLFOX: leucovorin, 5-FU, and oxaliplatin (Eloxatin)
- FOLFIRI: leucovorin, 5-FU, and irinotecan (Camptosar)
- CAPEOX or CAPOX: capecitabine (Xeloda) and oxaliplatin
- FOLFOXIRI: leucovorin, 5-FU, oxaliplatin, and irinotecan
- Trifluridine and tipiracil (Lonsurf)
WATCH: Understanding Your Options with Metastatic Colon Cancer
Among metastatic colon cancer patients, multiple treatment options exist, including surgical and non-surgical options.
One treatment option includes an oral treatment called Fruquintinib, which is a targeted therapy for adults who have metastatic colorectal cancer and have tried other treatments. Results from a trial published last year showed the drug improved overall survival and progression-free survival, which measures the amount of time before the cancer returns or spreads. It works by blocking the growth of blood vessels, which increases tumor growth.
Once you get to the metastatic setting, many patients “just run out of options,” Jennifer Elliott, head of solid tumors at Takeda, explained to SurvivorNet at the ASCO Annual Meeting. So it was critically important for Takeda to do this deal to in-license fruquintinib. We hope to give patients another option.”
Fruquintinib has been approved in China since 2018 and was originally developed by Chinese biopharmaceutical company HUTCHMED. Takeda Oncology acquired the exclusive worldwide license for the drug outside of mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau in January 2023.
Understanding Colon Cancer
Colon cancer is very treatable and curable if caught early. Colon cancer screenings can involve at-home tests such as Cologuard, but a colonoscopy is more effective, according to SurvivorNet experts. A colonoscopy involves a long, thin tube attached to a camera to examine the colon and rectum. If no polyps are discovered, the next screening won’t be needed for ten years. Polyps are small growths in the colon that are not yet cancerous but can potentially develop into cancer.
“When we see a polyp, we actually physically take the polyp out through the colonoscope,” Dr. Zuri Murrell, a colorectal cancer surgeon and Director of the Cedars-Sinai Colorectal Cancer Center, explained.
The cancer starts when abnormal lumps called polyps grow in the colon or rectum. It takes up to 10 years for a colon polyp to become full-blown cancer, according to SurvivorNet experts.
The American Gastrointestinal Association lowered the recommended initial age for a colorectal screening from 50 to 45. However, experts recommend screening earlier for some people who may be at an increased risk of developing colon cancer, such as having a family history of the disease.
WATCH: Colon cancer symptoms.
The most poignant signature of colon cancer includes a change in bowel habits. This may include constipation or diarrhea due to changes in the size or shape of bowel movements. A change in stool color, particularly black or tarry stools, can indicate bleeding from a tumor that lies deep in the colon.
Other symptoms can be harder to pinpoint, such as abdominal pain and unintentional weight loss. Finally, some tumors bleed a small amount over a long period of time, resulting in anemia (low red blood cell count) that is picked up on blood work.
Questions to Ask Your Doctor
If you are facing a colon cancer diagnosis, here are some questions you may ask your doctor.
- What are my treatment options based on my diagnosis?
- If I’m worried about managing the costs of cancer care, who can help me?
- What support services are available to me? To my family?
- Could this treatment affect my sex life? If so, how and for how long?
- What are the risks and possible side effects of treatment?
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