“We celebrate the life of someone who has meant so much to this community,” said the Rev. Michael A. Walrond Jr. of First Corinthians Baptist Church about Greg Marius to the many who filled his pews Thursday to do just that—celebrate Greg. Songs that were sung, such as “We’re Almost Home,” performed there by the ARC Gospel Choir, helped in that celebration.
Marius, who had just turned 59 on March 18, died late Saturday afternoon, April 22, of colon cancer. The cancer had been in remission. “It then spread to other areas of his body, including his lungs,” said Stacey Marius, one of his two younger sisters.
Those who attended the service at 116th Street and Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard celebrated as asked. They came to honor Marius, to pay homage and pay tribute to him and his family: his four children, Raheem, Charisma, Gregory Jr. and Nathan; his sisters, Cheryl and Stacey; his brother, Michael; and his niece and nephew, Cordell and Malcolm.
At times, requests to celebrate someone’s passing, truthfully, just masks the reality of the grieving, the pain and mourning. The sadness of it all. “Greg Marius loved Harlem. He loved basketball. He gave Harlem the EBC, his contribution, said a very sorrowful Russel Shuler, a long time friend and Marius confidante, visibly hurt by the loss. “He knew that he had it, and he faced it head on,” Shuler said.
The passing of Greg Marius, a beloved member of the Harlem community, founder of the Entertainers Basketball Classic, the NBA of street basketball leagues, probably second to the Apollo Theater in bringing celebrities to the Harlem area, is one more reminder of how deadly cancer is, and its capability to heartlessly take life away from whomever it chooses, without remorse or mercy.
The American Cancer Society lists Colon, Lung, Breast and Prostate Cancer as the four major cancers. Although some assume that the colon and prostate is similar. They’re not. The colon is a part of the gastrointestinal system which pertains to the stomach and intestines while the prostate is part of the genitourinary tract, the organ system of the reproductive organs and the urinary system. The organ system, there are ten of them in the body, plays a different role in helping the body work.
“Cancer is not one disease, but hundreds of different diseases,” states Dr. Joan Culpepper-Morgan, Assistant Clinical Professor, Chief of Gastroenterology at NYC Health and Hospitals / Harlem, more commonly known as Harlem Hospital. “Colon cancer is different than blood cancer, lung cancer, etc. Each one is fought differently, but one thing is true for all cancers; it’s harder to treat cancers when they reoccur, because the reoccurrence means that the cancer survived the chemotherapy and the radiation.” According to Dr. Culpepper-Morgan, cancer cells are constantly changing (mutating), and making themselves stronger. “When these escaped cells grow, they often grow faster and are no longer responsive to the original chemotherapy and radiation. Doctors are better at preventing cancer before it happens than trying to cure a cancer that has occurred.”
It’s important to note that there are four different stages of cancer. During Stage 1, the cancer is relatively small and contained within the organ where it starts. In Stage 2, the cancer hasn’t begun spreading into any of the surrounding tissues, but the tumor is larger than in Stage 1. It can also mean that cancer cells have spread into lymph nodes close to the tumor. This also depends on the type of cancer. Stage 3, the cancer has grown. It may have started spreading into the surrounding tissues. Cancer cells now exist in the lymph nodes in that area. Stage 4: The cancer has spread from where it originated to another body organ. This is also called secondary or metastatic cancer.
“That’s why when cancer is treated surgically, the affected organ is removed along with its blood supply and lymph nodes,” stated Dr. Culpepper-Morgan. “Sometimes, even with all of that, cells escape from the cancer and find its way to distant organs like the liver or the lungs. We get hints of this when we examine the lymph nodes that are removed. If any of them have even a few cancer cells then there is a greater chance that the cancer will reappear in a distant organ. In order to prevent that from happening we sometimes treat the patient with radiation or chemotherapy that is specific for the type of cancer, and the stage of the cancer. The chemotherapy is given to kill the cells that escaped.
Some cancers are more aggressive than others. “The number of new cancer cases can be reduced, and many cancer deaths can be prevented,” notes Dr. Meena Ahluwalia, Chief of Hematology / Medical Oncology and Palliative Care, also with NYC Health and Hospitals / Harlem.
“Regular visits to your health care provider, and following guidelines for age appropriate cancer screening is very important. A person’s cancer risk can be reduced with healthy life styles like avoiding tobacco, limiting alcohol use, protecting your skin from the sun and avoiding indoor tanning.” Dr. Ahluwalia also recommends a diet rich of fruits and vegetables, maintaining a healthy weight, and being physically active.
“A recurrent cancer can be like the initial one, or different depending on where the cancer is from,” states Dr. Ahluwalia. “There are a few major symptoms that could mean serious problems, or the return of the cancer that you had before. For example, a lump or new growth where your cancer first started, new or unusual pain that’s unrelated to an injury that doesn’t go away. Unintentional weight loss, easy bleeding or unexplained bruising, shortness of breath, chest pain, bloody stools or blood in your urine. New lumps, bumps, or swelling with no known cause, a cough that doesn’t go away.”
Dr. Culpepper-Morgan agrees that a proper diet and exercise decreases the chance of developing cancer, but warns you that it does not eliminate the risk totally, or prevent cancer from coming back. “It is not a guarantee that because you are a vegetarian, and can run a marathon that you won’t get cancer,” she said. “Smokers need to get chest X-rays. Women need mammograms and pap smears. Men need prostate exams and PSA tests. And everyone needs a colonoscopy.”
There are times when it gets to a point where nothing else can be done. There are no alternatives. This takes place when the escaped cells grow. They’ve grown faster, and are no longer responsive to the original chemotherapy and radiation. “The doctors told Greg that they couldn’t do anything else for him,” remembers Shuler. He just had weeks and days, but he took it like a champ, and just focused on what needed to be done, and on what he had to do. It was deep.”