CHICAGO — Typically considered an older person’s disease, this year, about 20 percent of new colorectal cancer diagnoses will happen in people younger than 50.
When his symptoms began in his early 40s, WGN’s Mike Lowe was not considered eligible for a colonoscopy. Ultimately, he did get a cancer diagnosis.
Mike has shared his story from day one of his treatment with the hope others won’t face the same fate.
“Every morning now I take four pills right after breakfast, and then I have to take the same four pills right after dinner,” he said. “That’s just part of my life now, taking chemotherapy pills. … I’m going try to go into this cancer fight as strong as I can possibly be. I’m trying to do everything I normally do for as long as I can until I physically can’t do this.”
What is Stage 3 Colon Cancer?
Dr Daniel Dammrich is an oncologist with Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital.
“That means the cancer has spread from the original organ, colorectal, into the lymph nodes in the surrounding area, but it has not spread distantly in the body to other organs, such as the liver or the lungs or the bones,” he said. “Stage 3 colorectal cancers are still a curable form of cancer. … Unfortunately (it is) becoming more and more common in younger and younger people, which is why we moved the screening age from 50 to 45. But we’re still missing lots of people.”