Following the death of veteran Nollywood actor Taiwo Hassan, popularly known as Ogogo, questions have emerged about how someone who appeared healthy weeks earlier could later be diagnosed with stage-four cancer.
Hassan, 66, died on Sunday, August 23, 2026, after battling cancer. His family disclosed his condition only days before his death, prompting renewed discussions about how some serious illnesses can remain unnoticed until they become advanced.
Nigerian doctor and health educator Aproko Doctor has now explained that appearing healthy does not necessarily mean that there is no serious underlying illness.
In a series of posts on X on Monday, he said some serious diseases, including certain cancers, can develop quietly and produce symptoms that may initially appear similar to less serious conditions.
“Looking healthy does not always mean that everything is fine inside your body.”
The doctor particularly addressed the common practice of attributing recurring stomach symptoms to ulcer.
He clarified that an ulcer does not simply turn into cancer, but explained that some stomach cancers can produce symptoms similar to those commonly associated with ulcers.
“An ulcer does not simply turn into cancer. But some cancers, particularly cancers of the stomach, can cause symptoms that people commonly describe as ulcer.”
Aproko Doctor warned that repeatedly treating stomach symptoms as ulcer without properly establishing their cause could mean that an underlying condition is missed.
He advised people experiencing persistent symptoms to seek proper medical evaluation rather than relying solely on previously prescribed ulcer medication.
Symptoms that should prompt medical attention include persistent stomach pain, unexplained weight loss, repeated vomiting, loss of appetite, difficulty swallowing and feeling unusually full quickly.
He stressed, however, that experiencing these symptoms does not automatically mean someone has cancer.
“Most stomach pain is not cancer.”
The doctor urged people not to panic or self-diagnose, but said recurring or persistent symptoms should be properly investigated to determine their actual cause.
His comments came amid renewed public discussions about the difficulty of detecting some serious illnesses early following Ogogo’s death.
Ogogo, whose acting career spanned more than four decades, was buried in his hometown, Ilaro, Ogun State, on Monday according to Islamic rites.
Source: Aproko Doctor.
