FOX43 Editor Diagnosed With Colon Cancer at 34 After Noticing Blood in the Toilet and Pushing for Answers

Although she was worried, doctors didn’t find anything concerning and told her she was too young for a colonoscopy — which at the time was a relief, since she had been hesitant to undergo the procedure.

However, her digestive problems never subsided, and in her 30s, she insisted on further testing.

Her persistence resulted in a colon cancer diagnosis at only 34, emphasizing the importance for young adults to be aware of early warning signs.

RELATED: 5 Possible Signs of Colon Cancer; Don’t Be Afraid to Look in the Toilet!

Shellenberger, now 45 and in remission, recalled undergoing her colonoscopy and the “total shock” she experienced upon learning she had cancer.

“No one in my family had cancer. I thought it could never happen to me,” said Shellenberger.

RELATED: Colorectal Cancer Now Leading Cause of Cancer Death in People Younger Than 50 According to New JAMA Report

Shellenberger now admits she looks forward to getting her routine colonoscopy.

“They’re not fun, but it gives me that peace of mind,” she explained.

“And it is worth it to know … to know that you do not have cancer.”

Experts recommend colonoscopy as the gold standard for screening. If you’re at average risk—meaning no family history or lifestyle risk factors like smoking—screening should begin at age 45.

A colonoscopy is a procedure doctors use to screen for colon cancer by looking inside the colon.

This procedure requires your colon to be “cleaned out.” To clear out your colon, your doctor will prescribe a “bowel prep,” a liquid you drink the night before the procedure. The prep acts as a laxative that causes you to have multiple loose stools before your procedure.

Once your colon is cleared, the gastroenterologist performing the procedure can have a clear look to evaluate if any polyps or masses are present.

Depending on the size and number of polyps found, it is recommended that patients undergo a repeat colonoscopy within three to five years.

WATCH: What Doctors Look for During Colonoscopies

Dr. Zuri Murrell, a colorectal cancer surgeon and Director of the Cedars-Sinai Colorectal Cancer Center, previously explained the colonoscopy procedure to SurvivorNet.

“When we see a polyp, we actually physically take the polyp out through the colonoscope,” he explained.

“What does that mean? That means we basically put a wire through with a little bit of a flange at the end, and we pull the polyp out. Now, note there is no pain with that. Inside the colon, there are no pain fibers. So there’s no pain,” Dr. Murrell added.

The advantage of a colonoscopy is that your doctor can remove any polyps found during the test. Many colon cancers can be caught on a colonoscopy before they develop or when the polyps are small enough to be removed without surgery.

Cancer Research Legend Urges Patients to Get Multiple Opinions

Understanding  & Treating Colorectal Cancer

Colon cancer is a type of cancer that affects your large intestine (colon) or the end of your intestine (rectum). Your doctor might call this type of cancer colorectal cancer.

The cancer starts when abnormal lumps called polyps grow in the colon or rectum. If you don’t have these polyps removed, they can sometimes change into cancer.  It takes up to 10 years for a colon polyp to become a full-blown cancer, according to SurvivorNet experts. If you get the recommended screenings, your doctor will have time to remove any polyps that form, before they can cause problems.

While experts don’t know exactly what causes colon cancer, they do point to certain risk factors, such as diet, smoking tobacco, and drinking alcohol. Having a family history of colorectal cancer can also increase the risk.

Both men and women can get colon cancer. Overall, it is the third most common cancer in people of both genders in the United States. But it’s also very preventable, with the recommended screenings.

Dr. Heather Yeo, colorectal surgeon at Weill Cornell Medicine, 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 said in a previous interview with SurvivorNet. “However … while they’re living longer, [patients] are still living with colon cancer.”

She explained that patients with stage I to III colon cancer typically need to undergo surgery.

Choosing the Right Surgery for Your Colon Cancer While Avoiding Marketing Gimmicks 

During surgery, the surgeon removes the section of the colon with the cancer, along with nearby lymph nodes — a procedure that’s known as a partial colectomy. Surgeons can perform it through an open incision, but increasingly it’s being done laparoscopically through several small incisions using specialized tools. Surgery is followed by chemotherapy to get rid of any cancer cells that might have been left behind.

Related: The Type of Colon Surgery Depends on the Location of the Tumor

After a partial colectomy, surgeons typically reconnect the two ends of the colon. But in some cases, the surgery creates enough of a disruption in the colon that it becomes difficult to have a normal bowel movement afterward. In that case, the surgeon will perform a procedure called a colostomy, creating a temporary or permanent opening through the belly through which stool can exit the body. Wastes collect in a pouch worn on the outside of the abdomen, called an ostomy bag.

“A colostomy or an ostomy, is taking the bowel and attaching it to the skin so the bowel movement would go into a bag, rather than out the anus and rectum,” Dr. Daniel Labow, chief of surgical oncology at Mount Sinai Health System, told SurvivorNet in a previous interview.

Colostomy sounds much worse than it is. “Once you get over the psychosocial effects, you can lead a totally normal life,” Dr. Labow says. “It’s not painful. It’s just getting used to a different way.”

The Spike in Colon Cancer Cases in Young Adults

The average age people are diagnosed with colon cancer is 68 for men and 72 for women, according to the American Cancer Society.

However, the National Cancer Institute reports that since the 1990s, colorectal cancer cases have been rising among adults younger than 50. Research published in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians found that the proportion of cases in people younger than 55 “increased from 11% in 1995 to 20% in 2019.”

“We know rates are increasing in young people, but it’s alarming to see how rapidly the whole patient population is shifting younger, despite shrinking numbers in the overall population,” cancer epidemiologist and lead study author Rebecca Siegel said.

Researchers are still trying to determine why younger people are being diagnosed in more significant numbers. Some experts point to risk factors, which include obesity, physical inactivity, and smoking, as a possible explanation for the increase.

“We don’t know for sure why we are seeing earlier onset and death from colon cancer,” Dr. Yeo explained.

“It is likely a combination of factors, including diet and genetics as well as access to care and some environmental factors.”

Most colon cancers can be prevented if people are regularly screened. The screening usually involves a colonoscopy, in which a long, thin tube attached to a camera is used to examine the colon and rectum. If no polyps are discovered, the following screening won’t be needed for ten years.

“We know that colon cancers can be prevented when polyps are found early,” Dr. Yeo told SurvivorNet. “Lowering the screening age helps somewhat with this, but access to care is a real problem,” Yeo added.

The American Gastrointestinal Association lowered the recommended initial age for a colorectal screening from 50 to 45.

Signs and Symptoms of Colorectal Cancer To Watch For

The signs and symptoms of early-onset colorectal cancer are generally the same as they are for colorectal cancer. These include:

• A change in bowel habits. These include diarrhea, constipation, narrow stools, and/or feeling like you can’t fully empty your bowels after using the bathroom.
• Abdominal discomfort that does not go away. This includes pain, nausea, cramping, bloating, and/or unusual fullness even if you do not eat a large meal.
• Rectal bleeding. You may notice blood in the toilet, in your stool, or on toilet paper.
• Anemia. Anemia happens when you do not have enough red blood cells or hemoglobin. While anemia can have causes that are not cancer, anemia may be a sign of bleeding inside the body caused by a tumor.
• Unexplained weight loss. If you lose weight without trying, this may be a sign of cancer.

If you have any of these symptoms, talk to your doctor right away.

Colon Cancer Symptoms 

Pushing For A Correct Diagnosis

When it comes to your health, be a little pushy. You know your body better than anyone else. When you see a doctor for a problem, don’t hesitate to make sure that your question is fully answered and that you are comfortable with the plan moving forward. From a doctor’s perspective, every problem should have a diagnosis, a treatment, a plan for follow-up, and a plan for what happens next if the treatment doesn’t work.

As a patient, if you don’t feel like each of these four things has been accomplished, just ask! Even if it requires multiple visits or seeing additional providers for a second opinion, always be your own advocate.

The Importance of Being Your Own Advocate

Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

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