Eartha Kitt Succumbs To Colon Cancer
30-Dec-2008

(BlackDoctor.org) -- Singer, dancer, actress Eartha Kitt, who rose from the South Carolina cotton fields to become an international symbol of elegance and sensuality, has died. Kitt, who was recently treated at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, died on Christmas Day in Connecticut of colon cancer at 81.

Kitt, a self-proclaimed "sex kitten" famous for her catlike purr, was one of America's most versatile performers, winning two Emmys and nabbing a third nomination. She also was nominated for several Tonys and two Grammys.

Her career spanned six decades, from her start as a dancer with the famed Katherine Dunham troupe to cabarets and acting and singing on stage, in movies and on television. She persevered through an unhappy childhood as a mixed-race daughter of the South and made headlines in the 1960s for denouncing the Vietnam War during a visit to the White House.

Through the years, Kitt remained a picture of vitality and attracted fans less than half her age even as she neared 80.

Colon Cancer In African American Women

African American women have a higher risk of dying from colon cancer than any other women from any race or ethnicity. Although it is third most common cancer among all African Americans, also the least discussed. An estimated 14,100 cases are expected to occur among the population per year. Of these, an estimated 6,800 deaths will result. Lack of conversation and awareness about colon cancer can be disadvantageous to African Americans because this cancer can be treated and possibly avoided with preventative medical measures. Of the 14,100 cases, 90 percent of colon cancers and deaths are thought to have been preventable with early detection.

Special Colon Cancer Screening Guidelines For African Americans

New guidelines suggest that African Americans need an earlier visit to the doctor to screen for colon cancer.

The American College of Gastroenterology is now recommending that doctors screen African American patients for colon cancer beginning at age 45, which is five years earlier than the recommended age for screening white patients.

Natural Ways To Lower Your Risk Of Getting Colon Cancer

• Eat risk-reducing foods
  Load up on healthy portions of fiber, tomato products, cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, kale, cabbage, Brussels sprouts), garlic, and onions, and eat less meat
• Work in a workout
  Maintain a regular exercise routine throughout your life
• Try selenium supplementation
  Taking 200 mcg a day of this essential trace mineral can offer protection against a variety of cancers
• Go for green tea
  Drink several cups of green tea a day to benefit from the protective polyphenols found in tea leaves
• Try vitamin C
  If you have colon cancer, take 10 grams per day of vitamin C to possibly slow disease progression
• Mix in melatonin
  If you have colon cancer, take 20 mg of this hormone at night under medical supervision to possibly help improve prognosis and quality of life