Actor Ernie Hudson's Battles With Cancer
- “Ghostbusters” star Ernie Hudson, a two-time cancer survivor, is looking back on the “nightmare” incident that occurred after a cancer treatment complication, which he “would’ve died” from if he didn’t seek immediate medical help like he did.
- Hudson, who says he is “cancer-free” today, was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1998 and rectal cancer in 2011. He credits his ability to beat both cancers with routine screening for catching the cancers early, followed by treatment.
- A colostomy or ileostomy, something which Hudson had that led to a complication, is a procedure where part of your intestines are hooked up through the front of your belly, and you go to the bathroom through a bag that attaches to your skin. This bag is called a stoma bag or an ostomy bag.
- One of our experts emphasizes the importance of colorectal cancer screenings such as colonoscopies because most colorectal cancers can be prevented early with screening.
- Leading experts tell SurvivorNet why getting multiple opinions is always best to avoid a misdiagnosis or provider bias.
The cancer awareness advocate and dad of four, who was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1998 and rectal cancer in 2011, spoke with People in a recent interview about the time he “almost died” from cancer treatment complications years ago.
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When Hudson had set up a date to have the cancer surgically removed, his doctor informed him, “You may not have to have an ileostomy bag, but it’s a possibility.”
A colostomy or ileostomy is a procedure where part of your intestines are hooked up through the front of your belly, and you go to the bathroom through a bag that attaches to your skin. This bag is called a stoma bag or an ostomy bag.
Hudson recalled that following the procedure, he had continued to work and wear the bag, however he was “trying to cover that up” but “was in so much pain,” prompting him to ask his doctor how long he’s have to keep wearing it.
“He told me six weeks. Well, we should have waited three months. He took it off too soon,” he explained.
Looking back to the frightening moment he realized something was wrong, Hudson said, “I just woke up and my stomach had just … it was like a rock. And my wife [Linda Kingsberg] insisted, thank God, that I go to the hospital.”
Expert Resources On Prostate and Colorectal Screening
- If You Have a Family History of Prostate Cancer, Get Screened Early
- The PSA Blood Test and a Rectal Exam are Vital for Prostate Cancer Screening
- Could A Urine Test Be The Future of Prostate Cancer Screening? Leading Experts Weigh In
- PSA Test Is Not Perfect, But It Is Helpful
- Colon Cancer Diagnosis: What Happens After the Colonoscopy
- Getting Cleaned Out for a Colonoscopy
- Looking for Polyps During Colonoscopy
Hudson revealed that “poison was running into my system” and his doctor revealed “if it had been just a couple hours more” of him arriving at the hospital, he “probably would’ve died.”
Thankfully, he was able to have another surgery and get another ileostomy bag, until he got better.
Now, Hudson continues to share his story to inspire others to get get routine screenings and hopefully catch cancer early. He insisted to People, “All those things, had I not caught them and dealt with them. I know that I wouldn’t be here.”
Cancer Research Legend Urges Patients to Get Multiple Opinions
What Is A Stoma Bag?
A stoma bag, which Hudson had to have put back in, is used after someone undergoes a colostomy or ileostomy a procedure where part of your intestines are hooked up through the front of your belly.
A colostomy is when the large intestine (colon) is brought through this opening in the skin. An ileostomy, on the other hand, is when a part of the small intestine (ileum) is attached to the skin. These procedures can both be performed as a part of bowel cancer treatment, though they definitely aren’t always necessary.
The stoma bag, also called an ostomy bag, is then attached to your skin to allow you to go to the bathroom.
“Any time you have surgery on the intestine you can’t predict how well it’s going to heal,” explained SurvivorNet advisor Dr. Heather Yeo, a surgical oncologist and colorectal surgeon at New York Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center. “The majority of the time we can put patients back together, we connect one piece of the intestine back to the other. If we are able to do that successfully, they don’t need to have a colostomy bag.
“That being said, sometimes people get blockages and need emergency surgery and those patients are more likely to need a temporary colostomy bag. Sometimes people have cancers that are too big to take out, and those people may also need a colostomy bag.”
“I Began to Embrace it”: How One Survivor Learned to Live with a Colostomy Bag
A stoma bag might seem like it’d be a nuisance, but many people lead an active and normal life with their bags. A plastic bag acts as a cover so it doesn’t smell, and once it’s full you can simply empty it in the bathroom.
“Once you get over sort of the psychosocial effects, you can lead a totally normal life,” Dr. Daniel Labow, the chief of the Surgical Oncology Division at Mount Sinai, previously told SurvivorNet. “It’s not painful. It’s just getting used to a different way.”
And most patients will have their ostomy reversed two or three months after their cancer operation.
“If we do [an ostomy] for colon cancer, 99 percent of the time almost it’s temporary, could be as short as six to eight weeks, let everything heal, and then reconnect them down below,” Dr. Labow said.
“You Shouldn’t Die From Embarrassment”: Colon Cancer Can Be Prevented
Ernie Hudson’s Cancer Battles
Hudson is an award-winning actor whose shining star reached new heights with the 1984 hit “Ghostbusters,” where he portrayed Winston Zeddmore. Since that production, he’s maintained an active role in television and films. He also starred in the late ’90s TV series “Oz,” and around the 2010s, he starred in “The Secret Life of the American Teenager” as Dr. Ken Fields.
However, in 1998, his television appearances were more sporadic as he dealt with prostate cancer.
“When I heard the word cancer, it was one of the most devastating moments in my life,” Hudson previously shared with Fox59 News.
According to Prevent Cancer Foundation, a resource website that promotes cancer awareness, Hudson discovered his cancer early after undergoing routine screening.
When you do get screened for prostate cancer, your doctor will run a few tests.
One of the tests is the PSA test, a simple blood test that screens for prostate cancer. It looks for more significant amounts of protein-specific antigen (PSA) in the blood. An elevated PSA test does not always mean you have prostate cancer. It could also reflect that your prostate is enlarged, which is common, or it could signal an infection or inflammation.
Your doctor may also conduct a digital rectal exam (DRE) to check your prostate for lumps.
Depending on the results of these tests, imaging scans and a biopsy may be ordered.
WATCH: How Gleason Grade Determines Treatment
After tests are conducted, your doctor analyzes the results to give you a Gleason Score. This score ranges from 6 to 10. The higher the score, the more aggressive the cancer.
This score, along with your other test results, helps doctors determine if your cancer is “low risk,” “intermediate risk,” or “high risk.”
Prostate cancer does not always behave the same in every man it impacts. The cancer can be considered “low-risk” and can be slow-growing, and treatment might not be necessary. In other men, the cancer may grow faster or more aggressively, requiring more immediate treatment. Because of this, there is some debate about screening.
The United States Preventive Services Taskforce recommends men at average risk between the ages of 55-69 years old should talk with their doctor about the pros and cons of prostate cancer screening.
The American Cancer Society recommends that men at age 50 who are at average risk should begin screening. Men who are at high risk of prostate cancer should begin screening at age 40. Men with a close relative diagnosed with prostate cancer should consider annual screenings in their 30s.
Most doctors agree that men over the age of 70 do not need screening.
Hudson was also diagnosed with rectal cancer in 2011. This type of cancer develops in the tissues of the rectum. This type of cancer is sometimes referred to as colorectal cancer. While rectal and colorectal cancers are similar, they’re treated differently due to the cancer’s location along the intestine.
Hudson previously told Fox19 News that after being diagnosed with rectal cancer, his treatment was “more complicated and came close to dying, but due to early prevention, I was able to find it, and now I’m cancer-free.”
Hudson’s Advocacy for the Human papillomavirus vaccine (HPV)
Following Hudson’s own cancer experience and understanding just how valuable early detection and cancer prevention are, he became an advocate for cancer awareness.
Hudson became the public face of the Prevent Cancer Foundation. He appeared in several public service announcements promoting the human papillomavirus vaccine (HPV)
Prostate Cancer Treatment
Hudson’s prostate cancer was detected six-months after a screening test came back normal — he followed up with another test that showed his PSA levels had risen, prompting him to seek treatment. He’d caught it early.
For early-stage prostate cancer, some doctors recommend active surveillance, a watch-and-wait approach for men who have a small number of cancer cells found in the biopsy, a low PSA, and low-grade cancer. Through active surveillance, doctors monitor whether the tumor is shrinking or growing.
Dr. James Brooks explains the benefits of active surveillance for low-risk prostate cancer.
Men who choose active surveillance avoid the potential side effects of treatment, including sexual and urinary problems. However, about 50% of men who opt for active surveillance will see changes within five years that require active treatment.
Related: When Is Active Surveillance Not Enough?
Some men opt to start active treatment immediately with either radiation or surgery. Experts stress that it’s up to the patient to express their concerns and fears with their doctor.
“I see patients who will say, ‘look, why would you radiate it when it’s still there? Let’s just cut the darn thing out!” says Dr. Stephen Freedland, Director of the Center for Integrated Research in Cancer and Lifestyle at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
The rate of prostate cancer in African-American men is 60 percent higher says Dr. Edwin Posadas, Medical Director of the Urologic Oncology Program at Cedars-Sinai.
“I see other patients that are like, ‘I’m terrified to have surgery.’ If they’re just against surgery, I go, great, let’s do radiation. I want to do the right thing for you that you’re comfortable with, because you’re the one that needs to live with the consequences,” says Dr. Freedland.”The risks of that choice, knowing the benefits, are probably similar.”
Colorectal Cancer
“Colon cancer, for a long time, was thought of as an elderly person’s disease, “Today” host, Craig Melvin, whose brother survived the disease, previously told SurvivorNet. Melvin points out an important statistic: the rate of colon cancer is declining in every age group except adults under age 50.
Today Show Host, Craig Melvin‘s brother is a colon cancer survivor, and was diagnosed at stage 4: “If you get screened, if you listen to your body, it’s the most treatable cancer.”
Risk factors include a family history of colon cancer, smoking, and obesity. “But if you get screened, if you listen to your body, it is also, arguably, the most treatable cancer as well,” Melvin adds.
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
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