‘Dumpster Diving’ ‘Lot Lizard’ Country Singer Joshua Ray Walker Says His Lungs Are ‘Cancer-Free’ After Fearing His Colon Cancer Had Spread. Reducing Your Risk of a Misdiagnosis With a Second Opinion
‘Dumpster Diving’ ‘Lot Lizard’ Country Singer Joshua Ray Walker Says His Lungs Are ‘Cancer-Free’ After Fearing His Colon Cancer Had Spread. Reducing Your Risk of a Misdiagnosis With a Second Opinion
Texas singer-songwriter Joshua Ray Walker, who was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer, says doctors can no longer find evidence of cancer. The news came as he was preparing for more intense treatment following a misdiagnosis that the cancer was spreading to his lungs.
Colon cancer symptoms will most notably impact your bowel habits. If you notice a change in your bowel habits or changes in your stool, talk to your doctor. Other symptoms, such as abdominal pain and unintentional weight loss, can be harder to pinpoint.
Experts recommend screening begin at age 45; however, screening may start earlier if you are at higher risk. It’s best to discuss your risk of colon cancer and screening time with your doctor.
Colon cancer cases have been on the rise in recent years among people younger than 50, and researchers are still trying to determine why.
Second opinions provide benefits such as ensuring diagnosis accuracy, revealing more effective treatments, and giving patients peace of mind in healthcare decisions.
Country singer Joshua Ray Walker, 33, is grateful for an unexpected end-of-the-year miracle after undergoing several months of grueling treatment for colon cancer, he’s been declared “cancer-free.”
“I’ve been anxious to update you, but I wanted to wait until I was off pain meds and all the most recent scans, tests, and lab results had come back. I’m so excited to share with you that my pre-surgery diagnosis was incorrect. I’ve beat the odds, and to everyone’s complete surprise, my lungs are cancer-free!” Walker said on Instagram to his thousands of followers.
What makes Walker’s latest chapter in his cancer journey so remarkable is that he received a misdiagnosis. He was told the cancer “appeared” to have moved into his lungs amid follow-up testing, meaning the cancer would have been at an advanced stage and thus more challenging to treat.
However, Walker underwent a biopsy on his lungs, which found that his lungs were “cancer-free.”
(@joshuaraywalker/Instagram)
The Texas singer-songwriter was diagnosed with Stage 3B colon cancer earlier this year. Stage 3 cancer means it’s begun to spread beyond its point of origin within the body. Colon or colorectal cancer affects your large intestine (colon) or the end of your intestine (rectum). He completed six months of chemotherapy, which helped him reach a stage where doctors could not find any “discernible amount of cancer anywhere” in his body currently.
“I won’t be in remission for another 5 years, and I will have frequent tests and scans done during that time, but for now, my life is not in imminent danger,” Walker said.
Walker’s experience serves as a helpful reminder patients should consider second and even third opinions before making big medical decisions. Dr. Steven Rosenberg, chief of surgery at the National Cancer Institute, also supports patients’ getting multiple opinions.
WATCH: Cancer Research Legend Urges Patients to Get Multiple Opinions.
“If I had any advice for you following a cancer diagnosis, it would be, first, to seek out multiple opinions as to the best care because finding a doctor who is up to the latest information is important,” Rosenberg previously told SurvivorNet. “And it’s always important to get other opinions to make the best decisions for yourself in consultation with your care providers.”
The average age people are diagnosed with colon cancer is 68 for men and 72 for women, according to the American Cancer Society. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends that adults aged 45 to 75 be screened for colorectal cancer.
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. Heather Yeo, a surgical oncologist who specializes in colorectal cancers at Weill Cornell Medicine, told SurvivorNet.
“It is likely a combination of factors, including diet and genetics as well as access to care and some environmental factors,” Dr. Yeo added.
Understanding Colon Cancer
Colon or colorectal cancer affects your large intestine (colon) or the end of your intestine (rectum).
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 full-blown cancer, according to SurvivorNet experts.
WATCH: Helping You Understand Colorectal Cancer
Most colon cancers can be prevented by regular screening. The screening usually involves a colonoscopy, in which a long, thin tube attached to a camera examines the colon and rectum. If no polyps are discovered, the next screening will not be needed for about ten years.
“We know that colon cancers can be prevented when polyps are found early,” SurvivorNet medical advisor Dr. Heather Yeoexplains.
“Lowering the screening age helps somewhat with this, but access to care is a real problem,” Yeo added.
What are Colon Polyps?
A colon polyp is a small group of cells that forms on the colon’s lining.
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 that is found during a colonoscopy is 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.
A Colonoscopy Explained
A colonoscopy is a procedure doctors use to screen for colon cancer by looking inside your 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 colonoscopy before they develop or when the polyps are small enough to be removed without surgery.
Questions to Ask Your Doctor
If you are facing a colon cancer diagnosis, here are some questions you may ask your doctor.
What are my treatment options based on my diagnosis?
If I’m worried about managing the costs of cancer care, who can help me?
What support services are available to me? To my family?
Could this treatment affect my sex life? If so, how and for how long?
What are the risks and possible side effects of treatment?
