Scott Brothers fans are in mourning. Known for his role as Josh Avery in the famous 2000s series, American actor Paul Teal died a few days ago from stage 4 neuroendocrine pancreatic cancer. Aged 35, the actor, who had also marked the spirits in series like Dynasty, The Walking Dead: World Beyond and Outer Banks, had been diagnosed a few months earlier, engaging in a fierce battle against the disease. Unfortunately, he did not survive.
Concretely, pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNET) are rare tumors, but whose incidence is increasing. In total, they represent approximately 5% of all pancreatic cancers and are characterized by a high rate of metastases (50%), mainly to the liver. Slowly evolving, they remain small for a long period, sometimes several years. It is therefore not uncommon for them to be discovered incidentally during a routine examination.
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Elderly people most affected
As for the symptoms, they appear when the size of the tumor becomes significant. They vary depending on the hormone secreted by the tumor. Thus, insulinomas cause a feeling of hunger, discomfort, palpitations, sweating and hypoglycemia which can sometimes lead to loss of consciousness. VIPomas trigger severe diarrhea. Finally, glucagonomas can be responsible for diabetes in the patient.
At the same time, some patients may experience persistent stomach pain, vomiting, cramps, and changes in heart rate. However, these warning signals are often uncharacteristic and similar to those of many other pathologies, hence an often late diagnosis. Note that older people are more affected than young people, although they can also be affected as evidenced by the case of actor Paul Teal.
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Following the announcement of his death, his former partners in the Scott Brothers also wanted to express their grief. Haley Scott's interpreter, Bethany Joy Lenz, for example, spoke of a “generous” man, “the kind of guy who could light up a room effortlessly” whose death “devastates” her. Same emotion for Sophia Bush (Brooke Davis) who said she was “incredibly saddened to learn of the disappearance of Paul Teal”, on Instagram. “We were only starting to watch his episodes in @dramaqueensoth (his podcast, Editor’s note) and he had so much talent,” she wrote.
