Understanding Bowel Cancer
- Susan Greenfield was misdiagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome. She had bowel cancer.
- His son, Simon, 47, is honoring his mother with a 62 mile run to raise money for Cancer Research UK.
- Bowel cancer is a general term for cancer that begins in the large bowel, but generally we use the term colorectal cancer in the United States. Possible symptoms to look out for can include a change in bowel habits, a feeling that you need to have a bowel movement that's not relieved by having one, rectal bleeding, blood in the stool, cramping or belly pain, weakness and fatigue and unintended weight loss.
- Therapy is one way to cope with a parent's cancer diagnosis. Licensed clinical psychologist Marianna Strongin has previously explained the importance of expressing your feelings in her advice column for SurvivorNet, because she says not talking about something we're afraid of or worried about can cause our body to feel anxious or dysregulated.
In 2016, Greenfield was diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome a common disorder of the large intestine that can lead to stomach pain, diarrhea, stomach bloating, constipation and cramping. It wasn’t until 2018 that doctors gave her the correct diagnosis: bowel cancer that had spread.
Read More“I remember being sat in the waiting room and was hoping to see her again before she had her operation to remove the cancer from her liver,” he said. “We were told that the liver never fully recovered unfortunately. All her organs had shut down.
“It was an overwhelming experience to lose my mum.”
In honor of his “one in a million” mother, Simon has decided to raise money for the charity Cancer Research UK by running 62 miles in one day on March 27. The mileage being an ode to his mother’s age at the time of her passing.
“You have to keep moving forward and that’s what mum would have wanted,” he said. “Running has really helped me a lot to deal with the grief. Whenever I go running, I feel she is by my side and cheering me on.
“She would be so proud. The challenge is going to be difficult but I’m determined to do it for mum and the training has gone well so far.”
Understanding Bowel Cancer
Bowel cancer is a general term for cancer that begins in the large bowel, but we generally use the term colorectal cancer or colon cancer or rectal cancer depending on the location in the United States.
Bowel cancer, like all cancers, presents its own unique challenges for patients on the road to recovery. But Dr. Heather Yeo, a surgical oncologist and colorectal surgeon at New York Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center, wants to remind people how far the treatment of this disease has come.
"One of the most exciting things about my job is that we've made a lot of progress on treatment options," Dr. Yeo says in a previous interview with SurvivorNet. "However, patients are still while they're living longer, they are still living with colon cancer, and so I think it's really important that we talk about how some of the things in your life affect you."
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Dr. Yeo also reminds people of the importance of colorectal screenings such as colonoscopies because most colorectal cancers can be prevented early with screening.
"In the United States, on a national level, colorectal cancer has been decreasing for the last 20 years," Dr. Yeo says. "And much of that is thought to be directly due to screening for colon cancer."
Symptoms of Bowel Cancer
Bowel, or colorectal, cancer might not immediately cause symptoms, but these are possible symptoms to look out for:
- A change in bowel habits, such as diarrhea, constipation or narrowing of the stool that lasts for more than a few days
- A feeling that you need to have a bowel movement that's not relieved by having one
- Rectal bleeding with bright red blood
- Blood in the stool, which might make the stool look dark brown or black
- Cramping or abdominal (belly) pain
- Weakness and fatigue
- Unintended weight loss
It is important to note, however, that displaying some of these symptoms does not mean you have colorectal cancer. You could also have colorectal cancer and not display any of these symptoms. Regardless, it is important to bring up any symptoms to your doctor should they arise.
Coping with a Parent's Cancer Diagnosis
Unfortunately, there are many others who, like Simon, have had to watch a parent battle cancer. Singer-songwriter Jazmine Sullivan, for instance, has been open about her mother's breast cancer battle. In fact, when her album Heaux Tales won the BET Award for album of the year earlier this year, she brought her mom onstage to talk about how much it meant to have her mom by her side that night.
"Two years ago we would've never expected to be here," Jazmine said at the event. "My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer two years ago. We didn't see any of this happening but God has been so faithful to us. My mom is now in remission. This is my prize, this is my gift it means more to me than anything that she's here with me."
Beyond being open about her mother's cancer battle, Sullivan has also shared that she sought help after her mom's cancer diagnosis. And she's a great example of why it's important to still put your mental health first in the wake of life-altering news like a parent's cancer diagnosis. After all, you can't be the best, healthiest version of yourself for your loved one fighting cancer if you don't attend to your own needs too. And some people find the help they need through therapy.
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"Breast cancer changes everything about your life. I've actually started seeing a therapist and I'm taking care of my mental health because that's something that you just need to kind of figure out," she previously told Yahoo Life. "I've been looking up so much since [starting] therapy and getting that pain and everything that I went through out."
Licensed clinical psychologist Marianna Strongin has previously explained the importance of expressing your feelings.
"Talking about difficult things does not cause more anxiety," she said. "It is NOT talking about the very thing that we are all afraid or worried about that causes our body to feel dysregulated (unable to manage emotional responses or keep them within an acceptable range of typical emotional reactions) and anxious."
Addressing people with sick parents, Dr. Strongin says, "I encourage you to talk about your feelings with your immediate family as well as your parents."
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