Safaricom CEO Bob Collymore died on Monday after a long battle with acute myeloid leukemia (AML).
According to the National Cancer Institute, the disease causes the patient's bone marrow to make abnormal myeloblasts.
Doctors sometimes refer to this blood cancer as acute myelocytic leukemia, acute non-lymphocytic leukemia, acute myelogenous leukemia or acute granulocytic leukemia. Its causes include chemotherapy treatment for other ailments, smoking, exposure to some chemicals like pesticides, benzene and cleaning detergents, radiation and blood disorders.
The areas that are targeted by the cancer are lymph nodes, brain, spinal cord, testicles, spleen and liver. Signs and symptoms include petechiae, bleeding, breath shortness, fever, loss of weight and appetite as well as constantly feeling tired.
Collymore was open to sharing his experience with cancer especially after seeking treatment in the UK.
“I did 30 different blood tests that cost me $1,000 (Sh100,000) but could not get what the problem was. I needed to do more tests which meant I had to be admitted,” Bob told Jeff Koinange in August last year.
In May this year, he was named as a Board Member to the National Cancer Institute alongside Royal Media head of digital content Mercy Oburu, Dr Evangeline Njiru and Kenyan Network of Cancer Organisations chairperson David Makumi. This came after he courageously fought the disease and resumed his duties at Safaricom.
“The institute plans to strengthen the National Cancer Registry where every hospital and doctor will be required to report new cancer cases,” said Mr Makumi after the appointment as quoted by Business Daily.