One of my best friends was just diagnosed with colon cancer -- and he's 24 years old...

You should probably tell him that he can beat this. Are they from the Midwest or from farming families?

Does he eat a lot of red meat? Beef (especially) and pork? Stay away from that. Eat oatmeal, cheerios, fruits and vegetables.

And don't have anal sex (giving or receiving; seriously).

beef eaters? wrote:

You should probably tell him that he can beat this. Are they from the Midwest or from farming families?

Does he eat a lot of red meat? Beef (especially) and pork? Stay away from that. Eat oatmeal, cheerios, fruits and vegetables.

And don't have anal sex (giving or receiving; seriously).

Well, to address your last point first – no, there’s no anal sex haha.. I know this fellow pretty well and there’s no indication of him ever being into any sort of weird activity like that. So definitely rule that out.

As for the red meat and stuff? Hard to say…. The thing is, is that his mom had colon cancer a few years ago, and I think after that they – as a family – really changed their eating habits. As far as I know he DOES eat very well (whole grains, limited meat, etc.) I think colon cancer is just one of those weird things…

But I have to say my buddies and I are pretty floored by this. 24 years old for colon cancer is very, very strange.

My roommate in college (20 at the time) was also diagnosed with early stage colon cancer. He had two surgeries and is now in remission for about 3 years. From my understanding there is a good prognosis if caught early, and from here on out he will just have to go for extra screenings.

What do say/do? wrote:

my close friend was diagnosed with colon cancer two days ago. It’s in his family, that’s for sure – his mother had to undergo surgery about 2 years ago to remove her own tumor in her colon.

I bet both of them went to a doctor.

the specific cause in common wrote:

What do say/do? wrote:

my close friend was diagnosed with colon cancer two days ago. It’s in his family, that’s for sure – his mother had to undergo surgery about 2 years ago to remove her own tumor in her colon.

I bet both of them went to a doctor.

Yes. What's your point?

It all really depends on where in the colon it is. You said lower colon, which makes one believe it's in the rectosigmoid area. (this area is associated with the highest % of large intestine cancers) Shit (pun intended) tends to sit longer in this area, so we absorb more toxins out of what we eat here. I.E. why one poster asked if he was from the midwest, where we eat more fatty, grilled foods. Yes, grilled foods have an association with colon cancer. Long story, but it has to do with carcinogens if you're interested. The fact that you said it was found in the early stages is a great sign. You should ask him what cancer staging system they used, aster-collier, or Dukes. Both grade A-D. A being excellent prognosis.With stage A, the patient will usually be cured by surgery (partial coloectomy), and in some literature have upwards of a 5-year survival rate of 85%.

You are also correct by pointing out that since his mother had it he is at a higher risk for it. It is virtually unknown for someone his age to develop the disease though. Guidelines state that a patient with a first degree relative with intestinal cancer shouldn't need a colonoscopy until ten years before the age of the affected first degree relative, or the age of 40, whichever comes first. Out of curiosity, how old was his mother when she was diagnosed?

Good luck to your friend.

Hey man, thanks a lot for the info, really means a lot.

She was somewhere in the area of 45-50 I believe. Maybe even early 50's. She's doing pretty well as far as I know. It's just brutal that the family has to go through all of this shit once again, this time with a different family member. And yeah, 24 years old and colon cancer is pretty crazy....

I had cancer... the most important thing to do is listen when he wants to talk, don't hold back if he wants to know how you are doing, and don't worry about saying what you "should" say. Keep it real.

Early stage is key. There's a lot known about colon cancer. My uncle had it diagnosed 30 years ago and he's still around with no recurrence. Treatment is more advanced now.

There's a genetic aspect to some colon cancers. You can research Lynch Syndrome or HNPCC (hereditary non-polyposis colo-rectal cancer, if my memory serves me). It will suggest the types of screening family members should have, because there's a cluster of cancers associated. Their family would be good candidates for genetic counseling.

I would be very cautious about bringing up lifestyle-related risk factors. No one wants to be told that his life-threatening condition is his own fault. Save lifestyle advice for later -- much later.

I never know what to say. The best thing that I can think of is letting my friend know that I'm available any time, day or night, and that I consider it an honor rather than a nuisance when a friend calls me to talk about his or her problems.

Avocados Number wrote:

I would be very cautious about bringing up lifestyle-related risk factors. No one wants to be told that his life-threatening condition is his own fault. Save lifestyle advice for later -- much later.

I never know what to say. The best thing that I can think of is letting my friend know that I'm available any time, day or night, and that I consider it an honor rather than a nuisance when a friend calls me to talk about his or her problems.

Well said.

Brad Kickster PA wrote:

Avocados Number wrote:

I would be very cautious about bringing up lifestyle-related risk factors. No one wants to be told that his life-threatening condition is his own fault. Save lifestyle advice for later -- much later.

I never know what to say. The best thing that I can think of is letting my friend know that I'm available any time, day or night, and that I consider it an honor rather than a nuisance when a friend calls me to talk about his or her problems.

Well said.

Yeah guys very well said. I have to say I was a bit surprised the fellow called me, because he's normally incredibly private. But yeah, I'm there for the fellow no matter what.

What do say/do? wrote:

Yes. What's your point?

They "discovered" something they stand to benefit greatly by removing.

those would be my only explanations unless the pathologist is just flat out wrong. good luck to your friend.

afdsafa wrote:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hereditary_nonpolyposis_colorectal_cancerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Familial_adenomatous_polyposis

those would be my only explanations unless the pathologist is just flat out wrong. good luck to your friend.

These are not colon cancer. They are disease states that can lead to colon cancer. At best you can consider them pre-malignant conditions.

Brad Kickster PA wrote:

These are not colon cancer. They are disease states that can lead to colon cancer. At best you can consider them pre-malignant conditions.

I misread the first link, my mistake. HNPCC is colon cancer. FAP is not.