Let's talk about Bob Marley's death. Maybe some of you had a Marley poster in college, or developed a love for his music or lifestyle.
His father was a white, English-Jewish Jamaican who died of heart attack in 1955 at age 70, when Marley was 10. Mother descended from slaves.
His father was a white, English-Jewish Jamaican who died of heart attack in 1955 at age 70, when Marley was 10. Mother descended from slaves.
In 1977, at age 32, he was diagnosed with a type of melanoma known as acral lentiginous melanoma (ALM) under his toenail. It was malignant and suspected to be metastatic. The doctor he saw in England recommend amputation / radical biopsy.
(not his toe, but real case shown)
(not his toe, but real case shown)
ALM is the most common subtype of melanoma for dark skinned people, and tends to present on tissues on non-hairy skin like soles, palms, under nails and on mucosa where it is often missed.
It's most common on those with African ancestry, and is associated with older age.
It's most common on those with African ancestry, and is associated with older age.
The cause of ALM is genetic lesions in a number of key genes. These can be environmental, inherited, or the result of errors in replication during embryogenesis.
Bob refused to allow amputation of the toe or foot, fearing it would prevent him from touring.
Bob refused to allow amputation of the toe or foot, fearing it would prevent him from touring.
Instead, he traveled to Germany to receive the "Issels treatment", which is a quack cancer treatment involving Vitamin C, laetile, chelation, strict diet and removal of all metal fillings.
It costs $65,000 and has no evidence of efficacy.
Meanwhile, Bob's melanoma spread.
It costs $65,000 and has no evidence of efficacy.
Meanwhile, Bob's melanoma spread.
By 1980, on tour in New York for the Uprising tour, Bob collapsed while jogging in Central Park where physicians at Sloan Kettering found melanoma mets in his brain, lungs and liver.
He gave his last concert ever two days later in Pittsburgh, 23 Sep 1980.
He gave his last concert ever two days later in Pittsburgh, 23 Sep 1980.
He was flying back to Jamaica when his conditioned worsened, and the plane landed in Miami to seek medical attention. He died there on May 11th, 1981, at age 36.
His final words, to his son Ziggy Marley, were: "Money can't buy life."
His final words, to his son Ziggy Marley, were: "Money can't buy life."
The treatment of his melanoma was hampered by the lack of good knowledge of ALM, a disease most prevalent in those of African ancestry.
Today, we have better knowledge, and a full set of targeted therapies with high efficacy.
Today, we have better knowledge, and a full set of targeted therapies with high efficacy.
80% of those diagnosed in the US with ALM will live 5 years or more, and 67% will live 10 years or more. It's still a worse prognosis that most melanomas, but if caught early, can be treated effectively.
There's a support and awareness group here, if you're interested in learning more.
aimatmelanoma.org/melanoma-101/t…
aimatmelanoma.org/melanoma-101/t…
I wouldn't use Bob Marley as an example of the dangers of ignoring conventional medical advice in favor of spiritualism, cannabis herbalism, and quack treatments: his case was too complex and muddied by racism, lack of awareness, and his own fame.
It was just a tragedy.
It was just a tragedy.
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