Colorectal cancer rates are increasing at an alarming rate among individuals younger than 50. Consider Lindley as a case in point. For him, a 38-year-old police officer from Mississippi, it’s an equally dire predicament. After living with debilitating symptoms for several months, Lindley began to receive treatment at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Texas. His journey serves as a vital reminder of the need to identify early warning signs of stroke and get medical help right away.
For years, Lindley’s nightmare started stifling his life while he was still doing his job, patrolling the interstate as a law enforcement officer. He started to feel the toll on his body. He was even forced to leave his post during shifts to go to the bathroom. Even more alarming was the fact that he couldn’t go when he tried. After first chalking his symptoms up to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), he learned that a much more dire situation was developing.
Symptoms and Diagnosis
Lindley’s symptoms worsened, until the day that he started noticing blood in his stool. This important yellow flag finally caused him to visit a doctor, where he was later diagnosed with colorectal cancer.
“I worked on the interstate doing police work, and so I’d have to come off the road three or four times [during my shift] to go to the restroom, but when I tried, I couldn’t go. Then I started seeing blood in my stool,” – Lindley
His diagnosis resonates with a troubling statistic: colorectal cancer is increasingly affecting younger adults. Christine Parseghian, MD, an associate professor of gastrointestinal medical oncology at MD Anderson, explains that the colorectal cancer incident rate among people older than 50 has been consistently decreasing. The data speak to this positive trend loud and clear. Rates among younger people are increasing, driven by trends like increased sedentary behavior and obesity.
Treatment Journey
Since getting his diagnosis, Lindley battled through four rounds of chemotherapy. Then, on top of that, he needed a month off to prepare for his robotic liver resection surgery. The surgery was able to remove all four cancerous lesions and about 5% of his liver.
“After four rounds of chemo, I took off a month before I had the liver resection, which they did robotically. They got all four spots [of cancer] and removed about 5% of the liver,” – Lindley
Even with the struggle he’s been through, Lindley is hopeful. He underscores the need to live a life that values family time and doesn’t allow our work priorities to overshadow our closest relationships. His experiences inspired him to become an advocate and activist for the prevention of health issues before they even start.
“I’ve always been a big family guy, but when my job is done, I make sure that I spend time with my family and not take things that I used to take so serious,” – Lindley
The Importance of Awareness
Lindley encourages people with heart disease to pay attention to the severity of their symptoms, and not be afraid to reach out for medical information. He reflects on his own journey, admitting that he was unaware of the rising prevalence of colorectal cancer among younger adults when he was diagnosed.
“At the time I was diagnosed, I had no idea that colorectal cancer was becoming an issue with younger and younger people. If I had seen a doctor sooner, maybe I would have been in stage 1,” – Lindley
The reasons for this trend are multifaceted, and contributors likely include shifts in diet, obesity, lack of physical activity, and genetic factors. Dr. Parseghian emphasizes that with early detection, there’s a better chance of successfully treating it.
“If tumor is found during colonoscopy, the earlier it is found may make surgical resection easier and cure more attainable,” – Christine Parseghian, MD
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