- Musician and colon cancer advocate James Casey has died at age 40
- He appeared in the Lehigh Valley earlier this year touting the importance of cancer screenings
- Toured with the Trey Anastasio Band, The Roots, John Legend, Meghan Trainor and other big names
CENTER VALLEY, Pa. — A renowned saxophone player who this spring spoke in the Lehigh Valley as an advocate for colon cancer screenings as he battled his own diagnosis, has died.
James Casey, who was a member of the Trey Anastasio Band, died Monday following a 2-year battle with colon cancer, according to statements on his social media accounts.
He was 40.
“He died peacefully in the early morning of August 28, 2023, surrounded by his wife and family.”James Casey social media pages
“He died peacefully in the early morning of August 28, 2023, surrounded by his wife and family,” one post read, in part.
The musician was at Olympus Corporation of the Americas in Center Valley this past March in honor of colorectal cancer awareness month. He used his cancer diagnosis to advocate for colonoscopies and other screenings.
He was quoted at the Lehigh Valley event saying, “this particular type of cancer that I have is 100% treatable, and it's 100% preventable if you get tested early enough.
"So I just want to make sure that nobody else has to go through this mess that I'm going through right now."
In addition to being a member of the Trey Anastasio Band, Casey toured with The Roots, John Legend, Meghan Trainor and other big names.
Black men are more likely to contract this type of cancer. Doctors have said though, that the earlier it is caught, the better, so screening and knowing a person's family history are important.
A colonoscopy is recommended every 10 years to people 45 and older, however, those with a family history should be screened sooner and more frequently.
