McNickle is confronting a reality he never expected, one filled with uncertainty, emotional upheaval, and the kind of introspection that only serious illness can force.

“I should have taken care of myself better and sooner. But, here we are,” McKickle said

“I waited almost a year until my skin was tearing open to get this checked,” he said, pointing toward his heart. “Had I gone in sooner, it would have been a simple procedure — not a three-inch hole in my chest.”

McNickle adds he waited months despite seeing “blood in his stool every morning” before going to the doctor.

McNickle describes the moment he heard the word cancer as surreal.

“Everything becomes muted,” he wrote. “The doctor sounding like the teacher from Charlie Brown. You realize nothing is registering other than that one word.”

Then the questions came flooding in: Why now? What did I do to deserve this? Why didn’t I come in sooner? After everything else, now this?

He remembers the creeping sense of defeat, the whisper of “F— it” that can pull a person toward giving up. But then came the counterweight — his daughter, his partner, the life he still wants to build.

“There’s another option… to fight. Because there’s always a choice, and I’m choosing optimism, health, happiness, and the knowing that the spirit has me.”

McNickle also added in an emotional Instagram video that he ignored a lump on his testicle.

It remains unclear what exact type of cancer he has been diagnosed with; however, blood in the stool is a symptom of colorectal cancer, and a lump on the testicle could be a sign of testicular cancer.

A Message for Anyone Ignoring Their Symptoms

McNickle’s story isn’t just about cancer. It’s about the danger of silence.

“As I’ve said before, if you have a health concern, don’t sit on it,” he urged. “Get yourself checked. There’s no valid reason not to. Not one.”

Despite the emotional and physical toll his bone cancer journey brings, McNickle remains steadfast.

“I know I’ve gotten the sh-t kicked out of me,” he said. “But I’m not going anywhere. I’m here. To fight.”

His openness — raw, unfiltered, and deeply human — is already helping others feel less alone. And that, he says, is reason enough to keep sharing.

Colon Cancer Is Treatable and Curable When Caught Early

Colon cancer is very treatable and curable if caught early. Colon cancer screenings can involve at-home tests such as Cologuard, but a colonoscopy is more effective, according to SurvivorNet experts.

The cancer starts when abnormal lumps called polyps grow in the colon or rectum. It takes up to 10 years for a colon polyp to become full-blown cancer, according to SurvivorNet experts.

When you have a colonoscopy, the gastroenterologist looks for polyps inside your intestine. Although polyps can’t be felt, they can be picked up by screening tests before they cause a problem, such as colon or rectal (colorectal) cancer.

A polyp found during a colonoscopy can be removed, which can prevent the development of cancer. Almost all polyps that are removed are precancerous, meaning that they have not yet progressed to cancer.

WATCH: Does Alcohol Impact the Risks for Colon and Other Cancers?

The American Gastrointestinal Association lowered the recommended initial age for colorectal screening from 50 to 45. However, experts recommend screening earlier for some people who may be at an increased risk of developing colon cancer, such as those with a family history of the disease.

WATCH: Debunking misconceptions about colon cancer.

The most poignant sign of colon cancer is a change in bowel habits. Changes in the size or shape of bowel movements may cause constipation or diarrhea. A change in stool color, particularly black or tarry stools, can indicate bleeding from a tumor deep in the colon.

Other symptoms can be harder to pinpoint, such as abdominal pain and unintentional weight loss. 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.

A Colonoscopy Explained

A colonoscopy is a screening test that allows doctors to examine the inside of the colon for signs of cancer or other abnormalities.

To prepare, the colon must be completely emptied. Your doctor will prescribe a bowel prep—a liquid solution taken the night before—that works as a strong laxative and triggers multiple loose stools to clear the colon.

With the colon clean, the gastroenterologist can carefully inspect the lining and remove or evaluate any polyps or suspicious areas.
Follow‑up timing depends on what’s found. If polyps are present, especially larger or multiple ones, doctors typically recommend repeating the colonoscopy in three to five years.

WATCH: What Doctors Look for During Colonoscopies

What Treatment Options Exist for Colon Cancer?

“There are a lot of advances being made in colorectal cancer,” Dr. Heather Yeo, a surgical oncologist and colorectal surgeon at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell, previously told SurvivorNet.

Colon cancer treatment is more targeted, meaning doctors often test for specific changes or genetic mutations that cause cancer growth.

Biomarkers are key to tailoring specific treatments. Biomarkers are molecular patterns becoming more commonly used in colon cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and management. According to the National Cancer Institute, a biomarker is “a biological molecule found in blood, other body fluids, or tissues that is a sign of a normal or abnormal process, or a condition or disease,” such as cancer.

“In colon cancer, we’re starting to look more and more at people’s biomarkers, so we’re starting to take the cancers, sequence them, understand where the different mutations are to figure out whether or not someone has a normal gene here or an abnormal gene,” Dr. Yeo explained.

“Those are the areas that people want to be able to target a little bit more. We’re getting close to more of what we would call precision medicine, meaning we can start looking at people’s genetic mutations and think about how they might respond to different drugs.”

There are different types of biomarkers, including DNA, proteins, and genetic mutations found in blood, tumor tissue, or other body fluids. The biomarkers most commonly used in colon cancer management are:

• Genetic mutations within the tumor, such as MMR/MSI, KRAS, BRAF, and HER2
• Bloodstream carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA)

CEA is a protein produced by most tumor cells (but not all) and can be picked up in the bloodstream. High CEA levels do not establish a colon cancer diagnosis. However, higher CEA levels correlate with a worse prognosis and potential metastasis. Carcinoembryonic antigen is important for post-treatment follow-up to ensure the cancer hasn’t returned. Be sure to check with your doctor before treatment starts to ensure a CEA blood sample has been obtained.

More on Treating Colon Cancer

Surgery and chemotherapy are common approaches to colorectal cancer.

Some examples of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved chemotherapy drug treatments include:

• FOLFOX: leucovorin, 5-FU, and oxaliplatin (Eloxatin)
• FOLFIRI: leucovorin, 5-FU, and irinotecan (Camptosar)
• CAPEOX or CAPOX: capecitabine (Xeloda) and oxaliplatin
• FOLFOXIRI: leucovorin, 5-FU, oxaliplatin, and irinotecan
• Trifluridine and tipiracil (Lonsurf)

WATCH: Understanding Your Options with Metastatic Colon Cancer

Among metastatic colon cancer patients, multiple treatment options exist, including surgical and non-surgical options.

One treatment option includes an oral treatment called Fruquintinib, which is a targeted therapy for adults with metastatic colorectal cancer who have tried other treatments. Results from a trial published last year showed the drug improved overall survival and progression-free survival, which measures the amount of time before the cancer returns or spreads. It works by blocking the growth of blood vessels, which increases tumor growth.

Once you get to the metastatic setting, many patients “just run out of options,” Jennifer Elliott, head of solid tumors at Takeda, explained to SurvivorNet at the ASCO Annual Meeting. So it was critically important for Takeda to do this deal to in-license fruquintinib. We hope to give patients another option.”

Fruquintinib has been approved in China since 2018 and was originally developed by the Chinese biopharmaceutical company HUTCHMED. In January 2023, Takeda Oncology acquired the exclusive worldwide license for the drug outside of mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau.

Better Understanding Testicular Cancer

A testicular cancer diagnosis is rare, but it is the most common form of cancer diagnosed in young men.

Depending on the stage, the disease is considered highly treatable. Treatment options can include chemotherapy and radiation, but often, the first line of treatment is surgery to remove the testicle, which contains the cancerous cells.

Symptoms of testicular cancer can be subtle. Some people may even confuse the early symptoms, such as a small mass in their testicle, with an injury. But when these signs are dismissed, the cancer can grow and become worse.

WATCH: Black Eyed Peas Rapper Taboo Says He Felt ‘Embarrassed’ After Testicular Cancer Diagnosis, Highlights Disparities in Health Care for Native Communities

Dr. Edwin Posadas, the medical director of the Urologic Oncology Program at Cedars-Sinai Cancer, previously told SurvivorNet that some men may even notice blood in their ejaculate as a result of testicular cancer. “This symptom is less common but always bad,” he said.

“It’s not uncommon to see men come in with masses on their scrotum and have inflammation of the scrotal wall; they develop pain as a result. A lump is the most common symptom of testicular cancer,” Dr. Posadas adds.

Men should regularly conduct self-exams of their testicles for anything unusual.

Testicular Cancer symptoms can include:

• Breast growth or soreness
• Early puberty in boys
• Low back pain (a potential symptom of advanced testicular cancer)
• Shortness of breath, chest pain, or a cough (a possible symptom of advanced testicular cancer)
• Belly pain (a possible symptom of advanced testicular cancer)
• Headaches or confusion (a possible symptom of advanced testicular cancer)

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