Additional Coverage:
- A 26-year-old with stomach pain was getting checked for celiac disease. It turned out to be stage 4 colon cancer. (businessinsider.com)
27-Year-Old Faces Stage 4 Colon Cancer After Initial Misdiagnosis
Shannin Desroches, a 27-year-old from Ontario, Canada, is battling stage 4 colon cancer after her symptoms were initially dismissed as a potential gluten allergy. Just over a year ago, Desroches began experiencing severe abdominal pain after meals.
Despite following a clean diet and maintaining an active lifestyle, her doctor suspected a gluten allergy or celiac disease. However, bloodwork came back negative.
Desroches advocated for further testing, including a CT scan. Due to long wait times within the Canadian healthcare system, the scan was scheduled a year out.
In the interim, her symptoms worsened, including persistent constipation, narrow stools, and pain in her left side. Eating smaller meals provided little relief.
“The pain was excruciating, no matter what I ate,” Desroches shared. “I knew I wouldn’t make it to the scheduled scan.”
An emergency colonoscopy revealed a large tumor obstructing her colon, preventing the completion of the procedure. The diagnosis: stage 4 colon cancer, with a grim three-year life expectancy. Desroches is now part of a growing trend of young people diagnosed with colorectal cancer and wishes colonoscopies were more routinely offered to individuals under 45.
“Early detection could have made all the difference,” Desroches stated. “I might have been stage 2 or 3. It’s incredibly frustrating knowing this could have been avoided.”
A Difficult Journey and the Fight for Treatment
Thanks to a family friend, Desroches secured an MRI in April 2024. The results led to her immediate admission to the hospital.
A subsequent colonoscopy confirmed the presence of a tumor, and Desroches underwent a six-hour emergency surgery. The procedure involved removing part of her large intestine, her right ovary, 13 lymph nodes, and a portion of the membrane lining her liver.
The larger liver tumors remained inoperable due to the risk of liver failure.
Upon waking, Desroches received the devastating news of her stage 4 diagnosis. Doctors advised her to begin egg retrieval immediately due to the aggressive nature of the cancer.
Desroches opted for immunotherapy combined with two chemotherapy drugs. However, during her 13th round of oxaliplatin, she experienced anaphylactic shock, forcing her to discontinue the drug. Recent scans have shown no shrinkage of the tumors, leaving Desroches anxious about her future.
Desroches is exploring alternative treatments, including a hepatic arterial infusion pump, a procedure readily available in the US but only offered in Canada as part of a clinical trial for which she doesn’t qualify. The estimated cost in the US is prohibitive, reaching upwards of $500,000. Undeterred, Desroches is investigating options in Europe and has launched a fundraising campaign to cover the costs.
Finding Hope and Looking Towards the Future
Despite the challenges, Desroches remains focused on the future. She and her husband, Cody, celebrated their beachside wedding in Jamaica in October 2024.
They are also pursuing their dream of having children, having already begun the egg-freezing process. While Desroches will be unable to carry a child herself, they hope to use a surrogate in the future.
“It’s hard to plan when you’re facing this,” Desroches admitted. “But I try to savor every moment.” She remains determined to defy the odds and refuses to be defined by a statistic.