Reality TV Star Criscilla Anderson, Wife of Country Singer Coffey Anderson, Is Bravely Battling Cancer AGAIN

“I walked in and Criscilla was crying, and after four summers of going through this, you just never expect good news,” Coffey told PEOPLE. “She told me that the doctor had said that she had reached NED [no evidence of disease]. It took me about 15 minutes to grasp. My phone dropped out of my hand and my shoulders dropped and I just felt my body starting to realize the gravity of it.”

“It was almost as if my body realized what she was telling me before my mind did,” Coffey said. “I was leaning against the wall and then Criscilla came in and just hugged me. We both lost it at that moment.”

Now, Criscilla is preparing for another fight, as cancer has been detected in her lymph nodes. Anderson was originally diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer in 2018. Her victory over the disease last summer was a major milestone, but she knew she could not completely relax. “The thing with cancer is that the chances of it returning are very, very high,” she said. “That’s why it’s always been important for me to not only celebrate all the victories, but prepare my mind for a bad scan, which takes us right back to the drawing board. It’s almost like I have to treat the cancer like a chronic disease.”

Anderson knows that the challenges she faces are extreme , but her spirit is unshakable. “I’m always going to be preparing my heart and my mind for results that I don’t want and just praying for the best," she said. “Do I want this diagnosis? Of course not…Who would want this? There are times when I get mad and I get angry and I get sad and then, I get hopeful again. The fight is still on, but I have a lot of fight in me.”

Treating Stage 4 Colon Cancer

Anderson is currently fighting stage 4 cancer. She has undergone chemotherapy which led to the shrinking of her tumors, she reported to fans.

In an earlier interview, NYU Langone Perlmutter Cancer Center’s Dr. Paul Oberstein explains the goals of treatment for stage 4 colon cancer. He says that the reducing the amount of cancer in the body and controlling it is the primary aim of treatment at this stage.

"When someone comes in with cancer that has spread outside the colon, it's called stage 4 colon cancer or metastatic colon cancer," says Dr. Oberstein. "The primary goal of therapy, and we discuss this in great detail with patients and their families, is to manage the cancer, is to try to control the cancer, to turn it into what we call a chronic disease, so to prevent it from growing, spreading, and causing problems."

He also says that treatment options are complicated and will depend on someone’s unique circumstances. For stage 4 colon cancer, treatment options can include surgery, chemotherapy and immunotherapy treatments.

Determining Treatment for Stage 4 Colon Cancer

Keeping Your Mojo Going During Cancer

You don’t have to be a pro dancer like Criscilla to dance your doldrums away.

A survivor we spoke with, Joel Naftelberg, has had a pretty cool life. He has raised a great family and is friends with some remarkable musicians. Music was a lifeline after his first cancer diagnosis. "It doesn't necessarily solve anything, but it does let us dance on our problems for at least an hour or two," Joel said in a previous interview with SurvivorNet.

"The worst thing is when people say I look good for someone with cancer, " says Naftelberg. "I may not wear it on my face, but inside there is a disease that's living and growing."

Joel has undergone treatment for both liver and pancreatic cancer. He compares his cancer to a monster, saying it has affected every aspect of his life. But just like Criscilla, he hasn't allowed his disease to take over his life.

Joel handles cancer by taking it one day at a timeand of course, by making time to feed his love of music.

Cancer Survivor Joel Naftelberg Learned to Dance on His Problems

Symptoms of Colon Cancer

A change in bowel habits is a common indicator of colon cancer; other symptoms like unintentional weight loss can be more difficult to identify.

Other symptoms range from constipation to diarrhea. A change in stool color, particularly black or tarry stools, can indicate bleeding from a tumor that lies deep in the colon. Finally, some tumors bleed a small amount over a long period of time, resulting in anemia (low red blood cell count) that is picked up on blood work.

If any of these symptoms arise or something just seems off and not the norm, it’s always a good idea to go to the doctor just to be on the safe side. Always be sure to share your family history of cancer to discuss whether it is time to start getting colonoscopies to screen for colon cancer.

Identifying Signs of Colon Cancer

Contributing: Marisa Sullivan and Anne McCarthy

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

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