We all know about the story of the legendary Walter Payton. With his scores, Super Bowl wins, and accolades, he fought different battles on the field, and more often than not, he came out on top.
However, he couldn’t win the battle he was fighting in his personal life. It was a cruel twist of fate that cut Payton’s life short in 1999 at the young age of 45. So, What disease did Walter Payton die from? The answer is Cholangiocarcinoma, a rare and aggressive form of bile duct cancer.
What Disease Did Walter Payton Die From?
Walter Payton was diagnosed with Cholangiocarcinoma, also known as bile duct cancer.
On September 2, 1999, in an emotionally drained state, Payton announced his condition and how the only cure at this point was a liver transplant.
He said,
“Am I scared? Hell yeah, I’m afraid.
Wouldn’t you be scared?” he asked.
“But it’s not in my hands anymore. It’s in God’s hands. I’m looking at it as a sprained ankle or a twisted knee.
I have to stay positive. Nobody else can make me stay positive. I have to do that.
Then, whatever happens, happens. If in 2 years something happens, and I get a transplant, and my body accepts it, and I go on, that’s fine. And if in 2 years I don’t, then that’s the way life was meant to be for me.”
Unfortunately, after this heartfelt interview, Payton didn’t even live for a year. He passed away on November 1, 1999.
Although the cause of death was because of Cholangiocarcinoma, it was because of a common complication of Primary sclerosing cholangitis That Payton was diagnosed with, which was because of his excessive drinking habits.
So, was the cause of death really because of Cholangiocarcinoma? Or did he start to die because of excessive pain medication intake?
Diseases Walter Payton was diagnosed with:
Cause of Death: Walter Payton passed away at 45 from an aggressive form of bile duct cancer.
Underlying Condition: Payton suffered from Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC), a rare liver disease that can increase the risk of bile duct cancer.
Possible Cause of PSC: It’s speculated that Payton’s use of pain medication during his playing career might have contributed to PSC, though a definitive link is not established.
Cancer Diagnosis: Following his PSC diagnosis, Payton was later diagnosed with bile duct cancer, which can obstruct bile flow and damage the liver.
Date of Passing: Walter Payton passed away on November 1, 1999, while battling bile duct cancer.
What is cholangiocarcinoma?
The disease Walter Payton passed away from is a rare form of bile duct cancer. The malignant cells form up in the bile duct, which are cancerous.
There are two types of Cholangiocarcinoma:
- Intrahepatic: In this form of Cholangiocarcinoma, the cancer forms and comes inside the bile duct into the liver.
- Extrahepatic: This form of bile duct cancer has the cancer spreading outside the liver Payton had intrahepatic bile duct cancer. Because of that, the only hope of survival was to get a liver transplant.
However, Once a person is diagnosed with primary sclerosis, the option of a liver transplant is not on the table. The drugs that are used to cure PSC will also reject a foreign organ, thus making it impossible to have an organ transplant.
What Are the risk factors and causes of Cholangiocarcinoma?
Now that we know what disease did Walter Payton died from, let’s look at the risks and the causes of this disease.
However, the exact cause of this disease is still unknown. Multiple factors are considered to cause this disease.
Doctors and researchers cannot pinpoint one reason why this occurs, even with these risk factors, but it does.
The significant risk factors of Cholangiocarcinoma are:
- Primary sclerosing cholangitis
This is the severe inflammation of the bile duct. It can also be seen as an indicator of Cholangiocarcinoma. Walter Payton was diagnosed with PSC before developing severe Cholangiocarcinoma.
- Ulcerative colitis:
Ulcerative colitis is inflammation of the bowel. This can also lead to bile duct cancer.
- Certain liver diseases:
Cirrhosis, scarring of the liver, and other severe liver disease can lead to bile duct cancer.
- Age
Age plays a vital role in this disease as older people, especially people above 65, are more susceptible to it.
- Family history:
Genetic history plays a crucial role when it comes to the development of Cholangiocarcinoma.
- Exposure to certain chemicals
Exposure to industrial chemicals can also aggravate the symptoms.
- Obesity
Obesity increases the risk of Cholangiocarcinoma in individuals.
The cause of Cholangiocarcinoma in Walter Payton was clearly because of the development of Primary sclerosing cholangitis. Which slowly cost him his life.
What are the Symptoms of Cholangiocarcinoma:
Bile duct cancer is tricky to diagnose in its early stages as the symptoms are not very clear and can be mistaken for something else.
Some of the common symptoms of Cholangiocarcinoma include:
- Abdominal pain
- Jaundice
- Loss of appetite/ weight loss
- Itchy skin
- Dark urine
- Fatigue
- Fever
- Chills.
These are a few symptoms of Cholangiocarcinoma. However, they can mimic other joint diseases, making it hard to point them toward cancer.
Only when the symptoms aggregate or start to interfere with daily life do individuals go for checkups. Unfortunately, by that time, it was at its worst state.
Treatment plan for Cholangiocarcinoma:
To diagnose Cholangiocarcinoma, there are various tests, blood works, CT scans, MRIs, as well as a liver biopsy.
There are also a few options for treatment depending on the condition and severity of the individual.
- Surgery: If the cancer is not spreading and is localized, surgery usually opts to remove the portion of the affected bile duct.
- Liver transplant: In intrahepatic bile duct cancer, because the liver is damaged, a liver transplant is considered.
- Radiation therapy: To relieve symptoms and to shrink tumors, radiation therapy is also used in some cases.
- Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy is done to kill the malignant cells in the body.
- Targeted therapy: Drugs that specifically target the problem areas are given, in this case, drugs for liver treatment.
- Palliative care: This is more focused on managing the patient’s symptoms to ensure that they won’t escalate.
These are a few methods used to treat Cholangiocarcinoma. In the case of Walter Payton, he needed a liver transplant after he went through chemotherapy, radiation therapy as well as targeted therapy. In the end, he was in Palliative care before he passed away.
Impact of cholangiocarcinoma on Walter Payton:
Despite the severity of the disease. Walter Payton stayed true to “never die easy.” Through all the pain and treatment plans, he made sure to be vocal and help his community as much as he could.
He founded the Payton organization to help fund organ donations and to create awareness about them. Admired by almost everyone in America, he used his platform to spread information. He guided people and told them about the importance of organ donation.
It’s been decades since 1999, but there hasn’t been much advancement in the treatment of Cholangiocarcinoma. However, it is essential to have early detection to help with the treatment plan. The disease Walter Payton died from is still a common and untreated cause of death.
Conclusion For what disease did Walter Payton die from?
Walter Payton spent his entire career loyal to one team; he played exceptionally and made a name for himself nationally as well as internationally.
Moreover, his philanthropic work shed more light on him. He helped students with college tuition, helping his community, and then eventually with organ donations.
However, his life was tragically cut short at the age of 45 when he had a rare bile duct cancer. Although the underlying cause was primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), Payton passed away because of Cholangiocarcinoma.
FAQS:
The words “Never Die Easy” on Walter Payton’s tombstone tell a story about him. It wasn’t just about how he played football—he always gave his all, never giving up on a play—but also about his life. He fought hard against tough things like drugs and sickness. “Never Die Easy” means he never stopped fighting, no matter how difficult things got.
Payton was a complete running back, excelling in both rushing and receiving. He was known for his elusive running style, often breaking tackles and making defenders miss. Payton possessed exceptional vision and patience, finding holes in the defense. His toughness and dedication earned him the respect of teammates, coaches, and opponents alike.