Public figure
What Darryl Strawberry's Story Can Teach Us About Colon Cancer
The baseball star faced colon cancer in 1998 and again in 2000 — and has spent the decades since helping others. Here is what his story can help us understand.
Please note: this page is educational only — it is not medical advice, and it does not speculate about anyone’s health beyond reliable public reporting. For questions about your own health, talk with your healthcare team.
On screen
Darryl Strawberry was one of the most electrifying hitters in baseball — an eight-time All-Star and a World Series champion with both the Mets and the Yankees — when, in October 1998, he was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer that had spread to a lymph node. He underwent surgery to remove a section of his colon, followed by chemotherapy. In 2000, the cancer returned, and surgeons removed a tumor found near his kidney.
More than twenty-five years later, Strawberry is still here — and still swinging, in a different way. He has spent decades speaking publicly about his cancer experience and his personal struggles, founding a ministry in 2011 and traveling the country to share a message of hope and second chances. We share only what he has chosen to make public.
The reality
According to the National Cancer Institute, colorectal cancer forms in the tissues of the colon or rectum and is the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States when men and women are combined. NCI explains that colorectal cancer often begins as a growth called a polyp, and that finding and removing polyps can prevent colorectal cancer altogether. When cancer does develop, finding it at an earlier stage may make it easier to treat — which is the entire logic of screening, since by the time symptoms appear, cancer may have begun to spread.
What the story gets right — and what to remember
Strawberry's experience includes something worth understanding calmly: cancer can come back. A recurrence is frightening, but as his story shows, it is not necessarily the end of the road — he was treated again and has lived a full, purpose-driven life since. At the same time, his diagnosis came at age 36, younger than traditional screening ages, a reminder that symptoms matter at any age. Every person's cancer, treatment, and outcome are different; his story is a source of hope and a prompt to act, not a prediction or medical advice.
Awareness, screening & prevention
NCI notes that several tests are used to screen for colorectal cancer — stool-based tests, sigmoidoscopy, colonoscopy, virtual colonoscopy, and DNA stool tests — and that studies show some of these tests help find cancer early and may decrease deaths from the disease. Because screening can find and remove polyps before they become cancer, colorectal cancer is one of the few cancers that screening can actually prevent, not just detect. Our guide to colorectal cancer screening walks through the options in plain language, and our free screening check-up tool can help you see which screenings fit your age and family history.
Turning a story into something useful
Strawberry often describes himself as living proof that the hardest chapters do not have to be the last ones. The practical takeaway from his story is quieter: know what colorectal cancer is, take persistent symptoms seriously no matter your age, and have the screening conversation with your doctor on schedule. Sharing accurate, hopeful information — and supporting free cancer education — carries that message to the people who need it.
Questions to ask a healthcare team
- When should I start colorectal cancer screening, and which test is right for me?
- Does my family history change when or how often I should be screened?
- What symptoms would be worth checking out even if I am younger than screening age?
- After colorectal cancer treatment, what does follow-up care look like?