Typically considered an older person’s disease, this year, about 20 percent of new colorectal cancer diagnoses will happen in people younger than 50. When his symptoms began in his early 40s, WGN\u2019s Mike Lowe was not considered eligible for a colonoscopy. Ultimately, he did get a cancer diagnosis.<\/p>\n
Mike has shared his story from day one of his treatment with the hope others won\u2019t face the same fate. \u201cEvery morning now I take four pills right after breakfast, and then I have to take the same four pills right after dinner,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s just part of my life now, taking chemotherapy pills. \u2026 I\u2019m going try to go into this cancer fight as strong as I can possibly be. I\u2019m trying to do everything I normally do for as long as I can until I physically can\u2019t do this.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dr. Daniel Dammrich, an oncologist with Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital, explained that Stage 3 colorectal cancer means the cancer has spread from the original organ, colorectal, into the lymph nodes in the surrounding area, but it has not spread distantly in the body to other organs, such as the liver or the lungs or the bones. Stage 3 colorectal cancers are still a curable form of cancer.<\/p>\n
Dammrich said that there\u2019s no clear answer to why more younger people are being diagnosed with colorectal cancer, but he believes environmental factors like sedentary lifestyle, diets high in fats and low in fiber, lack of exercise, obesity, smoking, and other risk factors are contributing to the rise of incidence in this younger population.<\/p>\n
Lowe has had a strong support system by his side. \u201cIt\u2019s always nice to have support from anyone, but for my parents to be there I think you always get a little bit of strength when your parents are with you,\u201d Lowe said. \u201cIt\u2019s an extra layer of protection for you.\u201d<\/p>\n
In addition to chemotherapy, Lowe is also undergoing radiation. WGN\u2019s Medical Watch team was with him during his first day. \u201cDay one is in the books,\u201d he said. \u201cIt really wasn\u2019t as hard as I thought it might be, especially the radiation went by in less than 10 minutes and I didn\u2019t even get to see a laser. \u2026 One day down and about six weeks left of this, 29 more sessions.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mike Lowe’s journey is a reminder of the importance of listening to your body and seeking medical attention if you are experiencing symptoms. With a strong support system and determination, he is facing his cancer diagnosis head-on.<\/p>\n
* What is Stage 3 Colon Cancer?
\n\t+ Stage 3 colorectal cancer means the cancer has spread from the original organ, colorectal, into the lymph nodes in the surrounding area, but it has not spread distantly in the body to other organs, such as the liver or the lungs or the bones.
\n* Why are more younger people being diagnosed with colorectal cancer?
\n\t+ There is no clear answer, but environmental factors like sedentary lifestyle, diets high in fats and low in fiber, lack of exercise, obesity, smoking, and other risk factors are believed to be contributing to the rise of incidence in this younger population.
\n* What is the importance of listening to your body?
\n\t+ If you are experiencing symptoms such as abdominal pain, bloating, changes in bowel habits, constipation or diarrhea, blood in your stool, you should seek attention with your medical professionals immediately.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
WGN’s Mike Lowe Shares Health Journey A Diagnosis at 40 Typically considered an older person’s disease, this year, about 20 percent of new colorectal cancer diagnoses will happen in people younger than 50. When his symptoms began in his early 40s, WGN\u2019s Mike Lowe was not considered eligible for a colonoscopy. Ultimately, he did get […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5158,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-5157","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-news"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/wgntv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2024\/11\/snapshot-2024-11-07T220127.852.jpg?w=900&w=900&resize=900,505&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5157"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5157"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5157\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5159,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5157\/revisions\/5159"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5158"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5157"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5157"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5157"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}