Radiation for Colorectal Cancer: 140 Real Stories
140 stories match colorectal cancer and radiation. 132 of them mention chemotherapy.
Stage 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 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 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 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 story32-year-old woman with Stage IV rectal cancer, liver and lung metastases, targeted chemotherapy, surgery, ablation, radiation, and ongoing chemotherapy
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 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 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…
Read this storyStage III Colorectal Cancer: Brandon’s Survivor Story
Brandon Dale was 53 when he shared how symptoms he thought were hemorrhoids turned out to be Stage III rectal cancer. For years, he had burning and discomfort that would flare up, settle down with cream, and then return. He did not realize the problem was…
Read this storyStage II Colorectal Cancer: Chad’s Patient Story
Chad noticed blood in his stool and sought medical care, eventually receiving a diagnosis of Stage II colorectal cancer. He pursued a second opinion because he wanted more information about his options. The diagnosis brought fear, worry, and a sense of…
Read this storyStage III Colorectal Cancer: Cleo’s Survivor Story
Cleo was diagnosed with Stage III colorectal cancer in February 2021 after weight loss, persistent stomach pain, and blood in her stool led to a colonoscopy. The tumor had begun to spread locally but was still described as contained within the colon. The…
Read this storyStage III Colorectal Cancer: Ben’s Survivor Story
Ben Simcox had his first colonoscopy at 28 after his sister, Heather, pushed family members to get screened because she had rectal bleeding and colon polyps. That first colonoscopy in 2009 found only non-cancerous polyps. Years later, in 2017, Ben developed…
Read this storyStage IV Colorectal Cancer: Scott’s Patient Story
Scott Sterling was 51 in 2018 when a sudden sharp pain in his lower right abdomen led him to the emergency room. After several tests, a pelvic scan found Stage IV colorectal cancer that had spread to his liver. He learned that the disease was not considered…
Read this storyStage III Colorectal Cancer: Allison’s Survivor Story
Allison was 32 and already familiar with bowel symptoms because of Crohn’s disease, so subtle changes caught her attention. She noticed weight loss, severe fatigue, more blood in her stool, and a feeling that food was getting stuck. Her gastroenterologist…
Read this storyStage III Colorectal Cancer: Mike’s Patient Story
Mike Fitzpatrick initially ignored symptoms that he thought were caused by a virus. By spring 2008, the symptoms had persisted, and his wife encouraged him to see a doctor. Screening led to a diagnosis of Stage III colon cancer. He was 44 and had six…
Read this storyStage III Colorectal Cancer: Catherine’s Patient Story
Catherine sought hospital care after developing blood in the stool, large clots and changes in bowel habits. Testing led to a diagnosis of Stage III colorectal cancer. Cancer had affected Catherine’s family before, including a grandmother and uncle, which…
Read this storyColorectal Cancer: Theresa’s Survivor Story
Theresa Cotton was 49 when she opened her colonoscopy results alone in a hospital parking lot and learned she had cancer. She called her husband immediately, then started researching cancer centers and treatment options. People she knew encouraged her to go…
Read this storyStage III Colorectal Adenocarcinoma: Anne’s Survivor Story
Anne developed persistent diarrhea with blood and later unexplained weight loss. After several months, a primary-care physician referred Anne to a gastroenterologist, and testing confirmed Stage III rectal adenocarcinoma in February 2017. Anne was 39 at…
Read this storyColorectal Cancer: Steve’s Survivor Story
Steve B., a 30-year-old computer programmer, noticed intermittent rectal bleeding and the feeling that he needed to use the bathroom but could not. His family physician knew Steve had a family history of colon cancer and recommended colonoscopy. The test…
Read this storyColorectal Cancer: Ed’s Patient Story
Ed Godic, 60, first tried changing his diet after noticing blood in his stool. When 2 weeks without gluten and with healthier meals did not improve the bleeding, he saw his primary care doctor at Cleveland Clinic Beachcliff Family Medicine. His doctor advised…
Read this storyStage IV Colorectal Cancer: Dawn’s Survivor Story
Dawn Eicher had intermittent bleeding from age 21, but for years she was told she was too young for cancer. In 2012, while pregnant at 35, she developed worsening bleeding, mucus, narrowing stools, and pain. Her symptoms continued after the birth of her son…
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