Colorectal Cancer: 402 Real Stories
402 stories match colorectal cancer. 338 of them mention surgery.
Stage 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 II Colorectal Cancer Patient Story
J Fletcher was diagnosed with Stage II colorectal cancer after blood in the stool and cramping prompted medical attention. The diagnosis brought anger, fear, sadness and a strong sense of uncertainty about the future. At the time of the story, treatment had…
Read this storyStage III Colorectal Cancer: Ceejay’s Patient Story
Ceejay first noticed breathlessness, which was traced to severe anemia. Blood tests and bowel tests followed, along with symptoms that included alternating diarrhea and constipation and a feeling that the bowel did not empty completely. Further evaluation led…
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 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 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 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: 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…
Read this storyStage IV Colorectal Cancer: Trevor’s Patient Story
Trevor Maxwell began feeling unusually exhausted in early 2018. Because he had dealt with anxiety and depression before, he first thought his symptoms were mental health-related. Bloodwork changed the direction of care, and his doctor pushed for a…
Read this storyColorectal Cancer: Wenora’s Patient Story
Wenora Johnson was 55 when she described how a colorectal cancer diagnosis had changed the way she approached her health. She had first been diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2011. Genetic testing afterward identified Lynch syndrome, an inherited condition…
Read this storyStage IV Colorectal Adenocarcinoma Patient Story
This 32-year-old woman was diagnosed with Stage IV rectal adenocarcinoma after a routine physical found a liver abnormality in late 2015. Further tests showed a rectal tumor 5 to 8 cm from the anus, perirectal and presacral involvement, liver metastases, and…
Read this storyStage III Colorectal Adenocarcinoma Survivor Story
An unnamed woman was diagnosed with Stage III adenocarcinoma of the colon. Her treatment began with surgery to remove the half of the colon affected by cancer, along with lymph nodes in that area. After surgery, she received chemotherapy for 6 months. Every…
Read this storyStage IV Colorectal Cancer: Almudena’s Survivor Story
Almudena was a medical student doing hospital rotations when rectal bleeding pushed her into the patient role. She had noticed blood in her stool 6 months earlier, at age 25, but was reassured that it was probably hemorrhoids. When bleeding happened again, a…
Read this storyColorectal Cancer: Alejandro’s Patient Story
Alejandro Mirazo joined the Mayo Clinic Tapestry DNA Sequencing Research Study in 2021 to contribute to research on genetics and health. He expected to help science, but the study also changed his own care. Genetic sequencing raised concern for Lynch…
Read this storyStage IV KRAS Colorectal Cancer: Kris’s Patient Story
Kris Sokolowski was 48 and diligent about checkups when a new, constant growling in his abdomen led to a scan in May 2021. His doctor saw a mass on his colon and liver and warned it might be Stage IV cancer. MRI and colonoscopy confirmed Stage IV colorectal…
Read this storyColorectal Cancer: Qin’s Patient Story
Qin Yi was a celebrated Chinese actress remembered for both her artistic career and her resilience through illness. In the 1960s, she was diagnosed with intestinal cancer. Doctors reportedly told her that she might not have much time, but she received timely…
Read this storyColorectal Cancer: Dan’s Survivor Story
Dan Gut was 39 when symptoms he had ignored for about 18 months led to a major colorectal cancer prevention surgery. He had changes in bowel habits and blood in his stool, often after eating ice cream, and thought he might be lactose intolerant. When the…
Read this storyStage IV Colorectal Cancer: Cindi’s Survivor Story
Cindi Terwoord was 62 when she acted quickly on new blood in her stool and was diagnosed with Stage IV colorectal cancer in September 2019. A local oncologist recommended starting chemotherapy immediately, but Cindi waited a few days for her Cleveland Clinic…
Read this storyColorectal Cancer: Francisco’s Survivor Story
Francisco Goyoaga, known as Curro to friends, was 59 and deeply active in sports and horseback riding when his health changed unexpectedly. He first sought surgery for an umbilical hernia, but complications during that process led to atrial fibrillation and…
Read this storyColorectal Cancer: Xue’s Patient Story
Xue Ming was 26 when diarrhea that lasted more than 10 days led him to seek medical care. A doctor felt what seemed to be a tumor, and he was referred from a town hospital to larger hospitals. Colonoscopy and biopsy confirmed middle-stage rectal cancer. The…
Read this storyStage III Colorectal Cancer Survivor Story
A R M sought medical care after poor appetite and weight loss became difficult to ignore. Testing led to a diagnosis of Stage III colorectal cancer less than a year before the story was shared. The diagnosis brought fear, sadness and worry, especially about…
Read this storyStage III Colorectal Adenocarcinoma: Elizabeth’s Survivor Story
Elizabeth was living in Canada when blood in her stool led her to seek medical care in December 2022. Testing showed Stage III rectal adenocarcinoma. The diagnosis left her angry, frightened, and worried about dying and leaving her children without their…
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