A woman in her 30s who has been diagnosed with cancer is warning others not to ignore early signs of the disease amid an epidemic of cases affecting young people.
Candace Henley, now 55, was diagnosed with colorectal cancer at the age of 35. Although the cancers are often considered an “old man’s disease,” experts warn that the average age of diagnosis is getting younger.
Earlier this month, the American Cancer Society warned that the diagnosis in people under 55 has doubled in the past 25 years. The age group now makes up one in five cases in the US.
In response to this growing trend, the US Preventative Services Task Force has recommended that Americans begin cancer screening at age 45 — lower than the previously recommended age of 50.
Following her diagnosis, Ms. Henley is now raising awareness of early-onset colon cancer and urging others to get screened if they experience early symptoms.
Candace Henley (pictured), now 55, was diagnosed with the devastating disease at age 35
Henley (pictured) warns other young people to get checked for cancer early so they can avoid the grueling treatment she underwent
‘I wouldn’t ask [God] for something else, but in return I would do what I had to do to save someone else from the trauma I and my family went through,” she shared Good morning America (ALG).
She said that at the time she was diagnosed, she was experiencing so much pain on a daily basis that she had trouble standing up.
“I couldn’t get up,” Mrs. Henley said.
“Finally one of my cousins said, ‘That’s it. We’re going to the emergency room.'”
The class of colorectal cancers includes many diseases that arise in the stomach or rectum.
It is the third most common cancer in both men and women in the US, behind breast and lung cancer for women and prostate and lung cancer for men.
More than 150,000 combined cases are diagnosed in the US each year, and the disease is responsible for 50,000 annual US deaths.
The number of cases has remained stable over the past decade, with 147,000 cases diagnosed in America in 2010.
The cancer that is treatable is caught before it spreads, with 91 percent of people diagnosed in the earliest stages of the disease surviving at least five years.
But the risk of death increases exponentially as the disease progresses. Once it has metastasized — when cancer spreads to other organs — and has spread to distant parts of the body, the survival rate drops to just 14 percent, according to the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
This makes early colorectal cancer screening crucial and means that people who experience early symptoms should get tested urgently rather than write them off.
Cruelly enough, the disease is so significant that its early catch is often symptomless until it has already progressed to a dangerous stage.
Ms Henley founded The Blue Hat Foundation in 2015 in hopes of raising awareness about this devastating disease and its early signs.
“We try to make sure we connect the patient to what they need,” she told GMA.
“I don’t want anyone to go through what I did,” she continued.
“Communities of color will be left behind in research if we don’t volunteer this time.
“We must do our part to help improve the health outcomes of our community and it is not enough to complain and wait. We need to be proactive, educate ourselves and make informed decisions about our health.”
The number of colon cancer cases has increased in adults aged 20 to 49 years. Scientists say more than 40 percent of diagnoses are made by people between the ages of 45 and 49.
What are the first signs of colorectal cancer?
Blood in stool
The most common early sign of colon cancer is blood in a person’s stool.
While damage to the rectum can sometimes cause blood to appear in the stool, doctors recommend that anyone who frequently finds red in the toilet get checked.
Blood finds its way into the stool because of the damage the cancer causes to the rectal wall.
These cancers usually begin in the mucous membrane, the inner lining of the gut.
As it grows, it will eventually reach the wall of the rectum and begin to push it in.
This can lead to tears in the rectal wall, causing a small amount of blood to mix with the stool as it passes through.
Sometimes blood causes the stool to turn a very dark color instead of red, as doctors warn that this should also not be overlooked.
Change in bowel habits
A seemingly harmless sign of colon cancer is a sudden shift in how often a person goes to the toilet.
Someone suffering from the disease can suddenly go to the toilet less often.
They may also experience prolonged constipation or diarrhea. Another common sign is “pencil-shaped” stools that are narrower than usual.
This happens because the cancer changes the shape of a person’s rectal passage.
As it grows, it pushes against the wall and narrows a person’s rectum. This makes it more difficult to go to the toilet and can also lead to a person using it less often.
Cold hands and feet
One sign that people may not be related to colon cancer is that they suddenly get colder hands and feet.
People who suffer from cancer often develop anemia, a condition in which there are not enough oxygen-rich red blood cells in the body.
Patients with colorectal cancer constantly and unconsciously lose blood through their rectum – often in their stool.
This depletes the body’s stores and can lead to problems.
The lower blood supply means less circulation around the body, and the extremities — the hands and feet — end up getting less blood than they should.
As a result, colorectal cancer patients will usually experience cold fingers and toes.
Stomach ache
The growth of a tumor in a person’s stomach or rectum will often cause them to experience pain.
Doctors have described the pain associated with colorectal cancer as dull and constant.
As the cancer grows, it will push against a person’s organs, bones, nerves, and other tissue, causing pain.
This is typical of all cancers, as the growth of a tumor begins to disrupt the rest of the bodily processes.
Abdominal pain is one of the most obvious signs of cancer and doctors will immediately alert patients who experience this persistent pain to get checked.
Weight loss
As cancer grows in a person’s body, the cells begin to release toxic metabolic waste. This is true for almost any cancer.
In the case of colon cancer, it can disrupt the way the body processes food as energy and speed up a person’s metabolism. This means they burn more calories every day and can shed pounds quickly.
The cancer cells also eat the body’s fuel and burn even more calories. While a person may not know they have a tumor, their immune system will and will be activated to fight it.
This process also burns valuable energy stores.
Tumor growth in the colon can also block the stomach and prevent a person from eating as much each day.
For the same reasons, many colorectal cancer patients also report intense fatigue.