When You Know Something is Off
- Mom and professor Briana Mezuk Ratliff, 35, was scoffed at by her doctor for requesting a colonoscopy to test for colon cancer after seeing blood in her stool.
- The Michigan native was finally taken seriously when they found out it was colon cancer; She had felt it all along and bravely advocated for herself.
- One of the most common signs of colon cancer is a change in bowel habits. This ranges from constipation or diarrhea to changes in the size or shape of bowel movements.
The mom, who is a professor in the Department of Epidemiology at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, had done her research. Blood in the stool is typically one of the stronger indicators for colon cancer.
Read MoreRelated: Is It Hemorrhoids or Cancer? What You Should Know
Mezuk Ratliff contacted Samantha Hendren, M.D., surgical director of the Multidisciplinary Colorectal Cancer Clinic at the Rogel Cancer Center, for care. Hendren was not at all shocked about her diagnosis.
"Both the proportion of colorectal cancers that are occurring in people under 50 and the absolute number of colorectal cancers being diagnosed in those younger people are increasing," Hendren said. "We need to all be aware that this disease is happening younger and younger, and when people come with these symptoms, we have to take them very seriously."
Related: Young Couple BOTH Diagnosed With Stage Four Colon Cancer At Same Time: Their Urgent Warning
Mezuk Ratliff headed off with her husband Scott and five-year-old son Max to Ann Arbor, Michigan for care. She then learned she was stage 3C. After careful determination, her new team decided to treat with surgery first, instead of using a combination of chemotherapy and radiation pre-surgery, which can be more common.
"Briana had one set of tests from Virginia that told one story and a different set of tests from U- M that told another," Hendren explained to the University’s health news outlet. "It was a judgment call. We talked about her preferences and my advice, and we put it all together. Ultimately, I think we made the right decision."
Related: How to Approach Treatment for Advanced Colon Cancer
Once she had the surgery, doctors then discovered that her cancer had not gone to her lymph nodes, as initially suspected, and it turns out her cancer was not 3C, it was stage 1. The error was in her favor at least, as she was no longer required to undergo chemotherapy and radiation. But to initially think you have an advanced stage colon cancer is understandably much more traumatic, especially after having been dismissed by prior doctors in the first place.
Mezuk Ratliff chose to look on the bright side. "She saved me from unnecessary treatment," she said of Dr. Hendren. "She saved my life. Period." If her team had not made the call to do surgery first, she would have done chemotherapy and radiation for nothing, and would have had to deal with the side effects that cancer patients often experience with it for years to come.
Five years later, Mesuk Ratliff is running half marathons in her free time while still teaching at the University.
"Doctors who haven't been with you the whole way [in your cancer care] don't necessarily understand how some comments can come across," Mezuk Ratliff said. "I can't tell you how many times I've heard, 'Colon cancer? But you're so young!' While that may be true, hearing it isn't comforting to me instead, it makes me feel like a novelty or like I'm a bizarre case to be studied."
SurvivorNet can not reiterate enough the importance of self-advocacy and following your gut, literally in this case! Mezuk Ratliff says the words for us:
"If something doesn't feel right and your doctor says, 'Don't worry about it,'" she said, "get a new doctor."
Learning More About Colon Cancer
When it comes to colon cancer prevention, screening is extremely important. If patients are being screened, most colorectal cancers can actually be prevented, according to SurvivorNet adviser and colorectal surgeon Dr. Heather Yeo.
“Part of the reason that I’m a colorectal surgeon is that it’sto me, it’s really exciting that if you screen patients, most colorectal cancer can be prevented early,” Dr. Yeo tells SurvivorNet. “In fact, in the United States on a national level, colorectal cancer has been decreasing for the last 20 years. And much of that is thought to be directly due to screening for colon cancer.”
Colon Cancer: Introduction to Prevention and Screening
Colon cancer starts when abnormal lumps called polyps grow in the colon or rectum. If you don't have these polyps removed, they can sometimes turn into cancer. It takes up to 10 years for a colon polyp to become full-blown cancer, so if you get the recommended screenings, then your doctor will have time to remove any polyps that form before they can cause problems.
Colon Cancer Symptoms
One of the most common signs of colon cancer is a change in bowel habits. This ranges from constipation or diarrhea to changes in the size or shape of bowel movements. A change in stool color, particularly black or tarry stools, can indicate bleeding from a tumor that lies 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.
Be Pushy, Be Your Own Advocate … Don't Settle
Doctors recommend to start screening for colon cancer at 45, or 35 if you have a family history. While it is unclear if Mezuk Ratliff had a family history of the disease, she knew to get checked because of the blood in her stool. As always, listen to your body, be on the lookout for any symptoms, and make sure to see a doctor OR THREE until you feel that your concerns are properly addressed.
No one lives in this body but us, so it’s crucial to take care of yourself by being your own advocate. If not, it could shave years off your life when you get that advanced stage diagnosis down the road. Finding cancer early is the key.
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