Colorectal Cancer: Janine's Patient Story

What happened, in summary

Janine Stellacci had been an athlete since her teenage years. Around age 40, she began experiencing severe fatigue and changing gastrointestinal symptoms, which she initially attributed to stress, hormones, and being a woman. After several years, occasional blood in the bathroom became a daily occurrence. A gastroenterologist quickly arranged a colonoscopy, and the tumor was identified on January 2, 2024.

Janine spent most of 2024 in treatment. She first received 4.5 months of FOLFOX chemotherapy. That was followed by 30 days of another chemotherapy given alongside daily radiation. She then underwent surgery to remove the tumor and received a temporary ileostomy. The ileostomy was reversed on December 5, 2024.

Throughout treatment and recovery, Janine tried to maintain an exercise routine as much as her health allowed. Her experience reinforced how important she believes early screening can be, particularly when symptoms such as rectal bleeding persist. Looking back, she felt that waiting longer could have had serious consequences. Janine now uses her story to encourage people to pursue timely screening and to support making colorectal cancer screening both accessible and affordable.