Chris Beswick died in April 2022 after a year-long battle with cancer, aged 37.

Fit, 36, non-smoker: Sister's plea after losing brother to cancer

Author: Megan Wilson,
Publish Date: Sat, 18 Mar 2023, 9:34am

Chris Beswick still had his “whole life” ahead of him.

He took care of his health, didn’t smoke and was a “hard-working guy”.

But in April 2021, the Tauranga man was diagnosed with an aggressive and rare cancer called Ewing’s sarcoma, which was found in his stomach lining.

After months of gruelling chemotherapy, Chris died in April 2022, aged 37.

His younger sister, Jessica Beswick, is sharing her brother’s story as she participates in the Gut Cancer Foundation’s “Give It Up” campaign this month.

She is giving up sugar to raise money for gut cancer research and to help people who might get diagnosed.

“I just want to be able to make a difference and at least give them a chance.”

Digestive system organs that gut cancers affect include the oesophagus, stomach, liver, gall bladder, bile ducts, pancreas and bowel.

Each year, more than 6000 Kiwis are diagnosed with gut cancer, with half of those dying within five years of diagnosis.

Jessica Beswick is doing the Give It Up challenge to raise money for gut cancer research.

Beswick said Chris called her one day saying he was experiencing stomach pain. He also had changes in his bowel habits.

“He’d been fatigued but then just sort of put it down to a busy life.”

Beswick, a registered nurse at Starship Hospital, told her brother to go to the emergency department.

She said the doctors found a mass. After a biopsy, it was confirmed Chris had Ewing’s sarcoma in the lining of his stomach.

“At the end of the year, he had a full laparotomy where they removed most of the cancer visible to the naked eye and removed most of his bowel and formed a stoma.”

In February 2022, their family was told he was “cancer-free”.

But a couple of weeks later, Beswick got a call from Chris saying he was in pain.

“And me, with my nursing brain, I just knew it wasn’t good news.”

Chris died on April 24, 2022, leaving behind his partner, a stepdaughter and his son who is nearly 4.

Originally from Auckland, Chris lived in Tauranga for about 10 years, working as an electrician.

“He was a fit 36-year-old. He took care of his health, he didn’t smoke, he would have the odd night out ... he was a hard-working guy.”

Beswick said she regularly worked with oncology patients.

“And it’s not until you watch your loved one go through it that you realise how brutal, just how disgusting of a disease it is.

“Put your health first - we only get one life really and you look at how young he was before it was all taken away.”

Beswick is giving up sugar this month, saying she has a “real sweet tooth”.

After researching the links between sugar and an increased risk of developing cancer or diabetes, she decided to cut it out.

Her original fundraising goal was $1000, but she has just hit $1300. Her new goal is $2000.

Gut Cancer Foundation chief executive Liam Willis said Ewing’s sarcoma was not a “typical” stomach cancer but usually occurred in the bones or in the soft tissue around the bones. In rare cases, it occurred in the abdomen.

The most common type of stomach cancer was adenocarcinoma. Only 29 per cent of those diagnosed with stomach cancer would live longer than five years after being diagnosed, he said.

Willis said Māori were suffering inequitable outcomes with stomach cancer diagnoses.

He said eating lots of fresh fruit and vegetables and exercising regularly reduced the risk of developing gut cancers.

“We know that obesity and excessive exposure to alcohol can be two factors that increase our risk to cancers of the digestive system.

The Give It Up campaign was focused on trying to educate people to make “sustainable lifestyle choices” to reduce those risks.

Willis said the money from the campaign would go towards research and clinical trials for new treatment, diagnosis and detection.

Te Aho o Te Kahu Cancer Control Agency acting chief executive Nicola Hill said 408 New Zealanders were diagnosed with stomach cancer in 2018, including 82 Māori.

And in 2017, 288 New Zealanders died from stomach cancer, including 47 Māori.

“Sadly, Māori diagnosed with stomach cancer are 22 per cent more likely to die than non-Māori with stomach cancer.”

Hill said the rate of stomach cancer for Māori and non-Māori had nearly halved over the past two decades.

Some stomach cancer was caused by infection with a bacteria called Helicobacter pylori, and rates of this bacteria had been decreasing over time.

Hill said poverty and household overcrowding were risk factors for Helicobacter pylori.

“Māori, Pacific peoples and those living in the most socioeconomically deprived areas continue to have much higher rates of stomach cancer.

“For those who may have concerning symptoms, such as a sore stomach or unusual bowel habits, it is important you talk to your doctor. The sooner stomach cancer is diagnosed, the better.”

Hill said the agency continued to focus much of its work on ensuring there were more equitable outcomes in cancer.