Chemotherapy for Colorectal Cancer: 310 Real Stories
310 stories match colorectal cancer and chemotherapy. 274 of them mention surgery.
Stage IV Colorectal Cancer: Trevor’s Patient Story
Trevor Maxwell was about 40 when fatigue became impossible to ignore. Through 2017 and early 2018, he became more tired, and eventually walking up stairs made his heart pound. Blood work showed significant anemia, and his doctor sent him for a colonoscopy. On…
Read this storyStage IV Colorectal Cancer: Jason’s Survivor Story
This Patient Story video is a survivorship discussion with 2 colorectal cancer survivors, Jason Randall and Amy Hart, focused on living with an ostomy. Jason describes himself as a Stage IV colorectal cancer survivor who was almost 5 years into the experience…
Read this storyStage IV Colorectal Cancer: Gene’s Survivor Story
Gene Jones was diagnosed with Stage IV colon cancer in 1993, early in the year he turned 51. He had stomach problems and could not go to the bathroom, and colonoscopy could not get past a large tumor that was almost completely blocking his large intestine…
Read this storyStage IV Colorectal Cancer: Michelle’s Patient Story
Michelle Cappel was first diagnosed with Stage IV colorectal cancer in 2017. Initial treatment included chemotherapy and curative-intent surgery, and she reached no evidence of disease for about 2.5 years. As she approached the 3-year mark, she developed a…
Read this storyStage IV Colorectal Cancer: Michelle’s Survivor Story
Michelle Cappel was a 40-year-old fifth-grade teacher when years of chronic constipation, bloating, and worsening abdominal pain finally led to a Stage IV colorectal cancer diagnosis. Her symptoms had been blamed on antidepressants, possible celiac disease…
Read this storyColorectal Cancer: Maria’s Patient Story
Maria Dupree was 58 when cramping and rectal bleeding led to a proximal rectal cancer diagnosis in December 2022. She had seen doctors a few months earlier, but the first tests did not identify the cause. A colonoscopy was recommended, and Maria scheduled it…
Read this storyStage III Colorectal Cancer: Angelica’s Survivor Story
Angelica Allen’s follow-up story focused on how life changed after Stage III bowel cancer. She was diagnosed in 2018 at age 38, after exhaustion, iron deficiency, bloating, bowel changes, and intermittent bleeding led to emergency evaluation. Treatment began…
Read this storyStage III Colorectal Cancer: Angelica’s Survivor Story
Angelica Allen was 38 when she was diagnosed with Stage III bowel cancer after months of symptoms that were easy to misattribute. She had iron deficiency, severe exhaustion that lasted 7 or 8 months, bloating, bowel-movement changes, and intermittent…
Read this storyStage II Colorectal Cancer: Wendy’s Survivor Story
Two weeks after turning 50, Wendy Tamis Robbins learned she had Stage II colon cancer. Severe iron depletion found during a routine physical led to her first colonoscopy, which found a large cancerous tumor. Wendy underwent surgery to remove the tumor and a…
Read this storyStage IV Colorectal Cancer: Jason’s Survivor Story
Jason Randall was diagnosed with Stage IV sigmoid colon cancer on July 17, 2018, after severe abdominal pain and bowel obstruction symptoms led to imaging. About 80% of his liver was covered with metastatic disease, and his sigmoid colon was fully blocked, so…
Read this storyStage IV Colorectal Cancer: Bart’s Survivor Story
Bart Wilson was 37 when lower abdominal pain and blood in his stool led to a colonoscopy in January 2020. Doctors found a large tumor blocking much of his colon, and he needed emergency surgery. The next day, he learned he had Stage IV colon cancer that had…
Read this storyStage II Colorectal Cancer: Amanda’s Survivor Story
Amanda was 29 when light IBS-like symptoms and blood in her stool began. She immediately asked whether it could be colon cancer, but was told it was probably hemorrhoids, a fissure, grief, anxiety, or stress. Her symptoms persisted for almost a year. Blood…
Read this storyStage III Colorectal Cancer: Meredith’s Survivor Story
Meredith Huetter was diagnosed with Stage III rectal cancer at 46. Her story focuses less on the full treatment timeline and more on what happens after the most visible parts of treatment are over. She pushed back on language such as “fighter” or “you’re so…
Read this storyStage III Colorectal Cancer: Amy’s Survivor Story
Amy was 34 when she was diagnosed with Stage IIIB colorectal cancer associated with Lynch syndrome. Treatment was described as a marathon in 3 legs. The first leg was 6 weeks of chemotherapy plus radiation. After a break, she underwent a 9.5-hour operation…
Read this storyStage III Colorectal Cancer: Haley’s Survivor Story
Haley P. was 37, recently postpartum, and raising a 6-month-old and a 3-year-old when symptoms she kept explaining away led to a Stage IIIC colon cancer diagnosis. During pregnancy and after delivery, she had constipation, stomach pain, shortness of breath…
Read this storyStage IV Colorectal Cancer: Carmen’s Survivor Story
Carmen Susman was active and felt healthy when urinary symptoms unexpectedly led to a Stage IV colorectal cancer diagnosis. In November 2021, he had a renal ultrasound to check for kidney stones. Instead, the test found a mass on his liver. Follow-up tests…
Read this storyStage IV Colorectal Cancer: JJ’s Patient Story
JJ was 27 when months of stomach pain led to an initial Stage II / borderline Stage III colon cancer diagnosis. Surgery removed about 80% of his colon and about 36 inches of small intestine because of how the tumor had grown. He also received 6 rounds of…
Read this storyStage IV Colorectal Cancer: JJ’s Patient Story
JJ Singleton was 27 and had been working hard to get healthier when abdominal symptoms began around Memorial Day 2015. He felt throbbing pain, became extremely tired, had trouble eating and using the bathroom, and was losing about 5 pounds a week. By…
Read this storyStage III Colorectal Adenocarcinoma: Colin’s Survivor Story
Colin, a truck driver living in Australia, sought medical care in August 2023 after several weeks of an upset stomach. Testing showed Stage III colon adenocarcinoma. Although he had suspected bowel cancer might be the cause, he tried to stay optimistic after…
Read this storyStage I Colorectal Cancer: Angela’s Survivor Story
Angela, who is retired and lives in Ireland, was diagnosed with a Stage I rectal carcinoid in October 2023 after noticing blood in the stool. Cancer had already affected several family members, including Angela’s sister and mother, but Angela remained…
Read this storyStage III Colorectal Cancer: Gina’s Patient Story
Gina was diagnosed with Stage III colorectal cancer in January 2023 after back pain led to imaging for a large ovarian cyst and bowel thickening. Cancer was removed surgically, but the temporary stoma did not function and she needed a second operation the…
Read this storyColorectal Cancer: Arlene’s Patient Story
Arlene’s colorectal cancer was found through a fecal immunochemical test in November 2023 despite having no symptoms. The diagnosis came during a difficult period soon after a husband’s death, adding anger, fear and sadness to an already painful time…
Read this storyStage III Colorectal Adenocarcinoma: Ashley’s Patient Story
Ashley developed persistent heartburn and felt full after only small amounts of food. An initial diagnosis and medication did not explain the worsening symptoms, so Ashley sought another opinion after roughly 6 months to a year. In January 2023, testing…
Read this storyColorectal Cancer: Ber’s Survivor Story
Ber sought medical attention for piles in June 2023 and was diagnosed with colorectal cancer. A family history that included a brother who died from cancer at 41 and a father with lung cancer made the diagnosis especially frightening. Treatment started with…
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