Young Mom, 36, With Stubborn Hemorrhoids While Pregnant Learned Her Bottom Pains Were Signs of Colorectal Cancer

When she brought the lingering problem up with her doctor, she pushed for a colonoscopy. However, since she was younger than the recommended age for a colonoscopy, which is 45, her insurance wouldn’t cover its $600 price tag.

“I’m very grateful that I had the money to pay for that because I realize that people don’t just have that sitting around. That colonoscopy saved my life…and not everybody has the opportunity to do so,” she said.

Her colonoscopy helped doctors discover that she had a four-centimeter mass in her rectum. The tumor was creating pressure that contributed to her hemorrhoids. While relieved to learn the cause of her painful problem, the young mother also had to cope with her cancer diagnosis.

Colon cancer, or colorectal cancer, affects your large intestine (colon) or the end of your intestine (rectum).

“The scary thing is that at the time, I was 36 – it would have been nine years before I ever had a screening colonoscopy discover it,” she said.

The cancer impacted one lymph node, making it stage 3. She soon began chemotherapy to try and keep the cancer from spreading further. She underwent nine rounds of chemotherapy infusions and radiation.

“I feel incredibly grateful. The treatments are working; my tumor is shrinking. My blood work is improving,” Kelly said of her ordeal.

Most colon cancers can be prevented if people are regularly screened. The screening usually involves a colonoscopy, in which a long, thin tube attached to a camera is used to examine the colon and rectum. If no polyps are discovered, the following screening won’t be needed for about ten years.

“We know that colon cancers can be prevented when polyps are found early,” SurvivorNet medical advisor Dr. Heather Yeo explains.

WATCH: Dispelling Common Misconceptions About Colon Cancer

“Lowering the screening age helps somewhat with this, but access to care is a real problem,” Yeo added.

Colon Cancer Appearing More in Younger People

The average age people are diagnosed with colon cancer is 68 for men and 72 for women, according to the American Cancer Society.

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.

Though Often Dreaded, Colonoscopies Can Save Lives

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.

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.

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.

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?

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