Colon Cancer in Young Adults: One Woman’s Story

Tatiana was just 39 years old when she was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer. Colon cancer is now on the rise in people under 45. Tatiana shares her story as a warning to others who may think colon cancer is a disease of the old.

Tatiana Gonzalez was just 39 years old when her doctor told her she had stage three colon cancer. "I couldn't believe it," she recalls, "and I told him, 'I'm sorry, can you repeat that?' He said, 'You have colon cancer.' It was devastating because I never thought that would happen to me." The mother of three, now 42, is one of a growing number of young adults being diagnosed with colon cancer. She had contacted her doctor after noticing changes in her bowel habits. "I was feeling constipated, so I started using laxatives to help me go to the bathroom, but in a couple of months, I started seeing blood in the stool."

She was sent for a colonoscopy, which revealed the cancer, leading to four months of chemotherapy, six weeks of combination chemo-radiation, and then surgery. She is now cancer-free, but her life has changed. "I thought that I was going to be the same person as before, able to eat anything, but no. For some reason, I'm now lactose intolerant. I cannot have cake, cheese, beans, or broccoli, and I can't eat rice."

Dr. Steven Lee Kong, chief of colorectal surgery at Hackensack University Medical Center, says one in every five cases of colon cancer now occurs in someone 45 or younger. He explains that while awareness is increasing, "There is still a bias that younger people shouldn’t be getting colon cancer, which sometimes leads to delays in diagnosis as patients put off bringing their concerns to their doctors." Risk factors for colon cancer include obesity, lack of physical activity, excessive alcohol use, smoking, and a diet heavy in red meat, smoked meats, and saturated fats. Changes in gut bacteria and genetics may also be contributing to increased rates among younger people.

Tatiana must be closely monitored for another seven to eight years before she can be declared in remission. "I have to be very careful because the cancer may come back at any time. It affects me every single day. I have three kids, and it's hard." She now urges others to listen to their bodies: "Don't wait until the end. Go to the doctor. Talk to your GI and ask them to do a colonoscopy. I know some people think a colonoscopy is hard, but it saves your life if you find out that something is wrong." The American Cancer Society and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommend people start regular colon cancer screenings at age 45.