Radiation for Colorectal Cancer: 140 Real Stories
140 stories match colorectal cancer and radiation. 132 of them mention chemotherapy.
Colorectal Cancer: Iris’s Survivor Story
Iris Niebling was 63 at the time of her interview and had been diagnosed with anal carcinoma at 47. She had not noticed bowel-cancer symptoms herself; the diagnosis began during a gynecologic checkup, when her doctor felt a nodule near the rectal area…
Read this storyStage IV Colorectal Cancer: Erna’s Survivor Story
Erna Hettich was 72 when she described rectal cancer in the context of a strong family history of colorectal cancer. During a vacation, she noticed blood in her stool and frequent bowel movements, even though her yearly occult-blood test had not shown…
Read this storyStage IV Colorectal Cancer: Uwe’s Patient Story
Uwe Dierks was 63 when he shared the long-term effects of rectal cancer diagnosed in 2011. For about 1 year before diagnosis, he had worsening bowel problems, nighttime toilet trips, bleeding, and weight loss. Colonoscopy found a tumor, and his doctor was…
Read this storyColorectal Cancer: Jan’s Survivor Story
Jan Holgersson was 59 when he reflected on colorectal cancer diagnosed at age 55. He had lived with persistent diarrhea for more than 6 months but did not take it seriously until the symptoms worsened. Hospital testing found cancer, and he initially feared…
Read this storyStage IV Colorectal Cancer: Tim’s Patient Story
Tim Meier was 31 when he described living with rectal cancer that had repeatedly spread to the liver. In late 2020, depression, constant fatigue, fever episodes, and side pain led to medical testing. Ultrasound showed suspicious findings in the liver, and…
Read this storyColorectal Cancer: Holger’s Survivor Story
Holger Pfleger was 73 when he looked back on advanced rectal cancer diagnosed in 2004. Two years earlier, a screening colonoscopy had not found anything suspicious. Later he developed diarrhea and weight loss, and a second colonoscopy found a low rectal…
Read this storyColorectal Cancer: Bernhard’s Survivor Story
Bernhard Kleinstück was 76 when he described rectal cancer diagnosed more than 20 years earlier. Before the diagnosis, he worked as a teacher. His first warning signs were difficulty concentrating and heavy exhaustion that often hit him by midday. After a…
Read this storyColorectal Cancer: Henriette’s Survivor Story
Henriette Schiller was 44 when she described rectal cancer diagnosed 5 years earlier. For several months before diagnosis, she noticed that her stamina was lower. Then she developed digestive problems, pain while sitting, and blood in her stool. Her partner…
Read this storyColorectal Cancer: Sonja’s Survivor Story
Sonja Novotny was 58 when rectal cancer was found during a preventive colonoscopy recommended by her daughter, who worked in healthcare. Until then, Sonja had not noticed warning signs, so the diagnosis came as a complete surprise. She appreciated that her…
Read this storyStage IV Colorectal Cancer: Petra’s Patient Story
Petra Thomas was 32 when she described life 2 years after being diagnosed with Stage III rectal cancer. Blood in her stool first appeared about 9 months before diagnosis, but she was initially reassured that she was too young for cancer and probably had…
Read this storyStage III Colorectal Cancer: Laura’s Patient Story
Laura Filip was 34 when she was living through treatment for rectal cancer diagnosed in December 2022. Blood in her stool during summer 2022 led to testing, including a colonoscopy that found the tumor. A coronavirus infection delayed her hospital admission…
Read this storyStage IV Colorectal Cancer: Emil’s Patient Story
Emil Groh was 56 when he described living with end-stage rectal cancer that had spread to the lungs and liver. About 1.5 years earlier, blood in his stool and major weight loss led him to medical care. Blood tests prompted hospital admission, and colonoscopy…
Read this storyColorectal Cancer: Rosi’s Survivor Story
Rosi Blumenthal was 75 when she described colorectal cancer that was found after a screening test for hidden blood in the stool at her gynecologist’s office. A colonoscopy followed. At first, she thought the problem might be another bowel fistula, something…
Read this storyColorectal Cancer: Amalia’s Survivor Story
Amalia Spatz was 71 when rectal cancer entered a life already shaped by widowhood, family, and work behind her. She first noticed growing weakness and exhaustion and thought a medication might be the cause. After she was taken to hospital, many tests were…
Read this storyColorectal Cancer: Leon’s Patient Story
Leon Gerspacher was 20 when fatigue and digestive problems led to colonoscopy and CT scans that found rectal cancer. He was a science student and living with his girlfriend, and the diagnosis quickly changed his plans. Initial treatment used radiation therapy…
Read this storyColorectal Cancer: Ingrid’s Survivor Story
Ingrid Weis was 52, married, and raising 3 children when rectal cancer was found. Her first sign was blood in the toilet, which she initially thought might be hemorrhoids. Colonoscopy instead showed a tumor in the rectum. After further testing, treatment…
Read this storyColorectal Cancer: Annemarie’s Survivor Story
Annemarie Merscher was already used to close medical monitoring before colorectal cancer was found. Because of polyps, she had colonoscopies and rectoscopies every 6 months from 2006 to 2014. She also lived with a donor liver and immunosuppressive medication…
Read this storyStage IV Colorectal Cancer: Jutta’s Patient Story
Jutta Groß was 47, a single mother of 2, and already familiar with hereditary colorectal cancer risk. At 19, because of familial adenomatous polyposis and many colon polyps, her colon was removed and the small intestine was connected to the sphincter. She…
Read this storyColorectal Cancer: Taletha’s Survivor Story
Taletha Walls shared this story as the wife and caregiver of her husband, who was diagnosed with rectal cancer at age 67 after a colonoscopy. The finding came during the holiday season, and Taletha carried the news quietly from December 13, 2018, until…
Read this storyColorectal Cancer: Judy’s Survivor Story
Judy Perdue is a mother of 3 with a high-stress healthcare career. When she noticed a little blood, loose stools, and some pain, it was easy to think the problem might be hemorrhoids. A colonoscopy changed everything by finding rectal cancer when Judy was 44…
Read this storyColorectal Cancer: Matthias’s Survivor Story
Matthias Mitternich was 65 and 7 years past colon cancer treatment when he reflected on his experience. His first clue was a reddish change in his stool, which he initially blamed on eating beetroot. When the change continued despite diet adjustments, he saw…
Read this storyStage III Colorectal Cancer: Rebecca’s Survivor Story
Rebecca Barber had recently had a baby when she began bleeding while going to the bathroom in 2019. The bleeding worsened, and a sigmoidoscopy found a tumor while she was awake with only the doctor and a nurse present. The moment felt unreal, and she later…
Read this storyStage III Colorectal Cancer: Stéphanie’s Patient Story
Stéphanie Lévesque learned she had Stage III colorectal cancer on February 14, 2023, when she and her partner met with the surgeon who had performed her colonoscopy on February 6. The diagnosis was difficult to absorb, but her surgeon explained that the tumor…
Read this storyStage IV Colorectal Cancer: Sydney’s Patient Story
Sydney Stoner had digestive issues for years before lower abdominal pain became debilitating. The pain shifted from occasional constipation to frequent heavy pain with constipation and diarrhea. She tried elimination diets and holistic doctors, but she knew…
Read this story