Young Adults With Colon Cancer

Hello. My 20 year old son was diagnosed last year with Stage IV metastatic colon cancer. He has done amazingly well. He underwent chemo (oxaliplatin, leukovorin and 5FU) subsequent colon resection, more chemo and a beautiful evaluation at Cancer Treatment Centers of America which helped him along the alternative approach. He has been "disease free" since his surgery...that was in July 2003...we're still scanning every two months and checking blood work every two months. I'm always anxious when test time comes around because I'm afraid our hiatus will come to an abrupt end...anyone out there with similar experience? Anyone with good prognosis with this difficult diagnosis?

Hi Betty, I was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer at 23(I'm now 25). I had my right colon removed, followed by 6 months of chemo(same 3 drugs as your son). I was disease-free after surgery and all through chemo and a couple months after chemo. Then when I went for my six month follow up scans (I don't think my doctors should have waited that long in between scans), I had massive tumors on both ovaries. I couldn't believe it, I had been feeling the best I had in 2 years. I just had another surgery 2 and a half weeks ago, and I'm doing good. I start my next round of chemo in 2 weeks. Unfortunatly, my doctors have given me a bleak outlook on my future. You can't count on symptons to tell you the cancer is back, the frequent scanning is very important. You also can't let a negative prognosis determine your future. Good luck to your son.

How are you now? My thoughts are with you. I didn't keep up with the messages as closely as I should have...let me know how you are. Jonathan was clear again in June...thanks. Betty

In June of 2002, I met a 55-yr-old millionaire who, having had his colon 2/3 removed, was interested in only his next move as enterpreneur. I tried to tell him about the beautiful 29-yr-old lady lawyer who, suffering fromn Crohn's, incrementally increased her fiber intake from near zero to nearly 50 gm/day, and has been symptom-free since, but no. (She had adhesions, fistulas...but all are history!) More pure water, some whole-food, enzymatically-active vitamin-minerals; does this sound like it would help colon-cancer folks? And yes, pH (above 7.4, then to 7.0)is very important! Exercise, a lymph stimulant(homeopathic), a little(10-15 min/day)sunshine, and don't wait for death to pray!! BTW, did you know that, like whole oats, or old-fashioned oatmeal, that psyllium-seed husks also give us a rare glyconutrient? In parts of the world where the diet is mostly raw veggies, there is no colon cancer!(Pass the spinach/peas/ cabbage/mustard-collard-poke-salat greens!)When "cancerous", 90% should be fresh/raw, even if it has to be mechanically "chewed"(juicing/food-processor/blender); pro-biotics should be added, as above, w/whole-food supplements! HE made our bodies to heal themselves; we prevent this when we deny them what they require...(nearly 4000 known factors in human nutrition, and none of them are chemo- or radiation- related!) God bless and better health! Michael M.

I am so sorry to hear about other young victimws of this evil disease. My husband was diagnosed with Duodenal Cancer ( small colon cancer) last november,our newborn baby was only 4 weeks old when he was diagnosed, he had just turned 34 a few months before and I had turned 30 a week to the day before he was diagnosed. Our little baby Mia and I walked her daddy into the operating theatre for a 10 hour operation, 6 weeks to the day after reini had walked me into the theatre for the cesarean of our baby( mia was a breach baby). Unfortunatley the surgeon said that the operation was not successful we did not know what 'lymph nodes involved' meant at the time.He said that it meant that it had spread and was dtage 3. OUr baby is now 8 months old and reini, her daddy has one more chemo treatment to go ( he has been having fortnightly chemo treatments irinotecan, 5fu and leucovorin) his cancer is very rare and they are not sure whether this will work - they have said that it is down to "luck", there are no websites about this rare cancer it is so frustrating I am sorry for being so glum good luck and keep positive, my husband has said that the only way we can beat this is top be positive, try to eat and drink well, meditate if you can and exercise if you can some time, he is an inspiration. God Bless Belinda, Mia and Reini

I had a 24 year old daughter with colon cancer. By the time she was properly diagnosed it had spread to almost every part of her body.To late for any type surgery. They told us it was anorexia, But boy they were WRONG. She lived 16 months after the right diagnoses. 15 monthes of that was chemo. So please if you feel you have cancer at any age, Please get it checked.

 

On 6/15/2006 Faith wrote:

I had a 24 year old daughter with colon cancer. By the time she was properly diagnosed it had spread to almost every part of her body.To late for any type surgery. They told us it was anorexia, But boy they were WRONG. She lived 16 months after the right diagnoses. 15 monthes of that was chemo. So please if you feel you have cancer at any age, Please get it checked.

 

Hi   Our Daughter found out she had colon cancer after seeing   A dOCTOR

       FOR  aleast 12 to  18 months She had a stage !V when they did the

       surgery with hypo themicchemo given during surgery  she then started chemo going through the usual protocol 

         and continued for the next 2 years  July 28th 2005 two weeks after her  29th birthday she lost the battle  KT was a

       pharmacist and a beautiful wife of only two years to the love of her life

       We feel the first doctor to see her when her symptoms started didnot

         take it serious  We lost time  due to  this lack  of judment on his part   He even did a sigmodscopic  and told us it was A okay. We later 

          saw the written report and he dicated he was only able to go so

         far with the test due to formed stool  this we believe was not stool

         but was the tumor and that was aleast a year before.  So to every

         one  question question  because she was in the field of medicine

         she may have trusted too  too much   Never a moment or a day

         KT isn't missed   This young lady for  very much into exercising

         even when she could curing chemo  Ate alot of fresh food and rarely

         ate red meat  Drank alot of bottled water  no family history  Soo

         we are very puzzled     

 
       

                
 

Hi Jenny - How are you?  I would love to hear from you!

betty

 

On 6/7/2004 Jenny F. wrote:

Hi Betty, I was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer at 23(I'm now 25). I had my right colon removed, followed by 6 months of chemo(same 3 drugs as your son). I was disease-free after surgery and all through chemo and a couple months after chemo. Then when I went for my six month follow up scans (I don't think my doctors should have waited that long in between scans), I had massive tumors on both ovaries. I couldn't believe it, I had been feeling the best I had in 2 years. I just had another surgery 2 and a half weeks ago, and I'm doing good. I start my next round of chemo in 2 weeks. Unfortunatly, my doctors have given me a bleak outlook on my future. You can't count on symptons to tell you the cancer is back, the frequent scanning is very important. You also can't let a negative prognosis determine your future. Good luck to your son.

 

I, too, lost my 25 year old daughter recently to colon cancer (Dec. 2008)  She was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer last July with innumerable tumors in her liver.  She was a cross country and track runner in seemingly perfect health.  Her diagnosis was a complete shock to her doctors and to all who knew her.  The doctors thought an ulcer might be causing her stomach problems with perhaps  'something 'going on in her colon'.  An ultrasound was done earlier and nothing adnormal showed up.  She first presented with rectal bleeding at the end of June.  She had none of the risk factors for this disease and she did not test positive for any of the mutations or genetic conditions.  Her course of treatment and surgery lasted only 5 months from diagnosis.    Complications from her surgery (Mayo Clinic docs) and very aggressive mets proved too much for her body to handle.  It's shocking how this disease had been spreading for so many years and was so advanced without bothering her.  We saw her go from no mets to lungs and innumerable mets in her lungs within weeks.   My prayer is that others in similar situations will have successful treatments and long and happy lives!

 

On 1/18/2009 Karah wrote:

I, too, lost my 25 year old daughter recently to colon cancer (Dec. 2008)  She was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer last July with innumerable tumors in her liver.  She was a cross country and track runner in seemingly perfect health.  Her diagnosis was a complete shock to her doctors and to all who knew her.  The doctors thought an ulcer might be causing her stomach problems with perhaps  'something 'going on in her colon'.  An ultrasound was done earlier and nothing adnormal showed up.  She first presented with rectal bleeding at the end of June.  She had none of the risk factors for this disease and she did not test positive for any of the mutations or genetic conditions.  Her course of treatment and surgery lasted only 5 months from diagnosis.    Complications from her surgery (Mayo Clinic docs) and very aggressive mets proved too much for her body to handle.  It's shocking how this disease had been spreading for so many years and was so advanced without bothering her.  We saw her go from no mets to lungs and innumerable mets in her lungs within weeks.   My prayer is that others in similar situations will have successful treatments and long and happy lives!

I lost my 25 year old daugher last week, May 3rd, 2009. She was diagnosed Sept 08.  I feel so guilty not being able to find her help. She told hospice nurse she was ready to go, but I wasn't ready to let her go.