Rob “the Rabbit” Pitts, star of the Netflix reality show about restoring old cars ‘Tex Mex Motors’ (Photo: Rob “Rabbit” Pitts/Facebook) died Sunday at the age of 45 from a stomach cancer.
Before he died, he created a video, “This Is Goodbye” (uploaded to YouTube, where it has more than 1.9 million views), outlining the symptoms of the disease and urging fans to pay attention to the warning signs of the disease.
The symptoms
In Pitts’s case, the symptoms began last year after the Las Vegas auto show. “I was losing weight,” he explained. Then, while filming the second season of Tex Mex Motors, he lost his appetite and had symptoms similar to acid reflux.
Although he went to the emergency room a couple of times, Pitts said doctors “didn’t get to the root of the problem.” Then in March, he was diagnosed with stomach cancer.
Who gets stomach cancer?
Stomach cancer accounts for about 1.5 percent of all new cancers diagnosed in the United States each year, according to the American Cancer Society. The risk increases with age. About 60 percent of patients diagnosed with this disease are at least 65 years old.
Some people are at higher risk simply because they belong to certain population groups: people over age 45, men, Hispanic Americans, African Americans, Native Americans, and other ethnic groups tend to have a higher risk of developing stomach cancer.
Although not as common as breast, prostate, and lung cancer, the American Cancer Society still calls it a leading cause of cancer death globally.
The symptoms
According to the American Cancer Society, early-stage stomach cancer also rarely causes symptoms, making the disease difficult to diagnose in its early stages. However, there are several signs to look out for:
Poor appetite
Unexplained weight loss
Abdominal pain or vague discomfort in the abdomen, usually above the navel
Feeling of fullness after a small meal
Heartburn or indigestion
Nausea
Vomiting, with or without blood
Swelling or fluid accumulation in the abdomen
Blood in the stool, which may make it appear dark brown or black
Feeling tired or weak, due to too few red blood cells (anemia)
Yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice), if the cancer spreads to the liver
Prevention
While there is no surefire way to prevent stomach cancer, there are several behaviors that can help reduce your risk of not only stomach cancer, but other cancers as well. Here are the recommendations from the American Cancer Society:
Achieve and maintain a healthy weight
Do regular physical activity
Eat a diet that includes plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables (citrus fruits can be especially helpful) and whole grains
Avoid or limit red and processed meats, sugary drinks, and highly processed foods
Avoid or limit alcohol consumption
When to see a doctor
The symptoms listed above may also be caused by other types of cancer. Experts at the American Cancer Society urge anyone who experiences any of the symptoms listed above to see a doctor if they get worse or don’t go away.
Your doctor may run a series of tests to rule out a potentially serious condition. More importantly, the final advice Pitts gives in his video: “If your body is telling you something is wrong, don’t stop until you figure out what it is. Ask questions and get answers.”
The original article is on Fortune.com