File: Veteran Nollywood actor, Taiwo Hassan, popularly known as Ogogo.

A Nigerian medical doctor and health educator, Aproko Doctor, has explained how some cancers can develop quietly and present symptoms that may be mistaken for common illnesses such as an ulcer.

Aproko Doctor, in a series of posts on X on Monday, made the clarification while reacting to questions about how veteran actor, Taiwo Hassan, popularly known as Ogogo, could have been diagnosed with stage-four cancer despite appearing healthy weeks earlier.

He said looking healthy did not necessarily mean that there was no serious illness developing internally.

“The uncomfortable truth is that looking healthy does not always mean that everything is fine inside your body. Some serious illnesses can develop quietly, with symptoms that may look like ordinary problems at first,” he said.

The doctor said stomach cancer, for instance, could cause symptoms that people commonly associate with ulcer, stressing that an ulcer itself did not simply develop into cancer.

“Ulcer. Can ulcer actually be cancer? Not exactly. 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,” he said.

He warned that people who repeatedly experience stomach pain should not simply continue taking ulcer medication without investigating the underlying cause.

“This is why that stomach pain that keeps coming back deserves more attention than simply taking the ulcer drug you used last time. If the symptoms keep returning despite treatment, don’t just keep changing the drug. Go back and investigate what is actually causing them,” he said.

According to him, symptoms such as persistent stomach pain, unexplained weight loss, repeated vomiting, loss of appetite, difficulty swallowing and feeling unusually full quickly should be properly evaluated.

He, however, cautioned against assuming that such symptoms automatically indicated cancer.

“Things like persistent stomach pain, unexplained weight loss, repeated vomiting, loss of appetite, difficulty swallowing or getting full unusually quickly should not simply be brushed aside. They do not automatically mean cancer either. But they are reasons to speak to a healthcare professional and get properly evaluated,” he said.

Aproko Doctor also urged Nigerians not to panic whenever they experienced stomach pain, noting that most stomach pain was not caused by cancer.

“And please, don’t let this thread make you panic every time your stomach hurts. Most stomach pain is not cancer. The point is don’t spend months or years treating a diagnosis that was never properly confirmed. If something keeps coming back, find out why,” he said.

He further said people could seek medical guidance from home if they were unsure where to begin.

The doctor’s comments came a day after Ogogo died at the age of 66 following a battle with stage-four cancer.

The veteran actor died at 3pm on Sunday, August 23, 2026, according to a burial announcement by fellow actor, Jide Kosoko.

Ogogo’s daughters, Kaira and Lima Taiwo, had earlier appealed for medical assistance for their father, disclosing that doctors had informed the family that chemotherapy could no longer be administered because of his condition.

The family subsequently sought other treatment options.

Ogogo, who was prominent in Yoruba-language cinema, had a career spanning more than four decades and featured in hundreds of films.

In a separate post, Aproko Doctor expressed condolences to Ogogo’s family and other mourners.

He wrote, “Finally, to the family of Alhaji Taiwo Hassan, Ogogo: Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, loved ones and everyone mourning him. May his soul rest in peace.”