This Friday morning, the world of football wakes up without Pelé. The Brazilian legend died of colon cancer. But how does this malignant tumor manifest itself? Explanations.
- Pelé is the only player to have won three World Cups (1958, 1962 and 1970).
- A funeral wake, open to the public, will take place on Monday and will last 24 hours, at the stadium of Santos FC, the club where the footballer shone from 1956 to 1974.
- The Brazilian athlete has scored 1,281 goals in his career, according to Fifa.
Three. This is the number of days of national mourning decreed by the Brazilian government after the death of the greatest player in the history of football, Pelé, whose real name is Edson Arantes do Nascimento. The “King”, suffering from colon cancer since September 2021, had been hospitalized on November 30 at the Albert-Einstein hospital in São Paulo for “reevaluate his chemotherapy treatment”. At that time, his family wanted to be reassuring and affirmed that his state of health did not present any “risk”.
But quickly, his tumor progressed and his condition deteriorated. This Thursday, December 29, the triple world champion died at the age of 82 following “multiple organ failure” in the hospital where he had been admitted a month earlier.
Colon cancer, the 3rd most common cancer in men
Colon cancer is a tumor that develops from the cells that line the inner lining of this large part of the large intestine, by progressive transformation of a benign polyp. This disease is the third most frequent cancer in men after those of the prostate and the lung and the second most frequent cancer in women after that of the breast.
This malignant tumor is caused by a diet low in fiber, excessive in red meat or processed meats, the consumption of alcohol and tobacco. Its occurrence can also be caused by physical inactivity and overweight. Other risk factors: age, family history and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
Colon cancer: what are the symptoms?
Colon cancer is manifested by:
- Abdominal pain
- Narrower saddles
- Prolonged diarrhea
- The presence of blood in the stool
- Nausea and vomiting
- A pressing need to have a bowel movement
- Unexplained weight loss
- Unexplained anemia
- Intense fatigue
- A loss of appetite
This pathology can be detected within the framework of organized screening offered between 50 and 74 years of age or individual screening due to a high risk of colorectal cancer. The earlier the tumor is diagnosed, the better it can be treated, and the greater the chances of survival.
