David Hungerford, a 47-year-old financial adviser from Long Island, has become an advocate for colon cancer awareness after being diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer in October 2023.
David Hungerford, a financial adviser from Long Island, reveals what it was like to be diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer after undergoing a routine colonoscopy at 45. Tamara Beckwith
Hungerford had no symptoms and no family history of colon cancer. He had simply gotten a colonoscopy because guidelines suggest that people at average risk start getting screened at 45. Less than 1% of colonoscopies indicate cancer.
Now, Hungerford has become an unofficial cheerleader for colonoscopies, especially with March being Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. "You have to take care of yourself," he said. "I learned that in a way — a hard way."
‘We have a problem’
A family friend who works as a gastroenterologist at Northwell Health encouraged Hungerford to get the colonoscopy. Guidelines suggest that people at average risk start getting screened at age 45. Tamara Beckwith
Hungerford’s wife, Jill, made his colonoscopy appointment upon the advice of a family friend — a gastroenterologist at Northwell Health.
When Hungerford was woken up after the procedure, he was told that the doctor wanted to see him. He thought, "OK, well, he’s a family friend. He’s probably just going to say, ‘Everything is good.’ And as soon as I sat down, he said, ‘We have a problem.’"
Scans revealed that a tumor about the size of a small orange was blocking Hungerford’s colon. Surgery was scheduled for the following month.
Slow return to normalcy
Dr. David Rivadeneira moved up the surgery at Huntington Hospital and assured Hungerford it was going to be OK.
Hungerford underwent about five months of chemotherapy, from December 2023 through May 2024. He felt energized by the steroids in the treatment and "wiped out" when they wore off.
He also had a colostomy bag, a pouch that collects stool from the body.
"I wouldn’t wish that on anybody," Hungerford lamented. "[It] was very limiting for someone my age and what I do for my career. You get nervous if you’re in somebody’s house or you’re at work and something happens."
He ditched the bag when he had his colon reattached in July 2024.
Missed cancer signs
Hungerford is cancer-free and his prognosis is excellent, Rivadeneira said. Tamara Beckwith
Now, eight months removed from that surgery, Hungerford is reflecting on his onerous ordeal and the signs he might have missed.
He said two of his physicals before his cancer diagnosis revealed he was slightly anemic, though he didn’t feel it.
"This is one of the major signs that we see with patients with colorectal cancer or intestinal cancers in general," Rivadeneira said.
Looking ahead
These days, Hungerford is cancer-free and his prognosis is excellent, Rivadeneira said.
"People need to remember that colon and rectal cancer is an extremely curable cancer with surgery when caught in early stages," he noted.
"That’s actually my major regret — that I waited 10 months after turning 45 to get the colonoscopy," Hungerford said. "If I had it right at 45, I probably wouldn’t have been blocked the morning of my surgery. Just the way it worked out between Oct. 6 and Nov. 2, that thing went from partially blocked to fully blocked."
Now he proudly wears a T-shirt that reads, "Don’t sit on it any longer — get screened for colon cancer," and estimates he inspired over 50 people to sign up for colonoscopies by sharing his story on social media.
"I’m just trying to promote the heck out of it," he said.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is colon cancer?
A: Colon cancer is a type of cancer that occurs in the colon or rectum.
Q: What are the signs and symptoms of colon cancer?
A: Common signs and symptoms of colon cancer include changes in bowel movements, blood in the stool, and unexplained weight loss.
Q: How is colon cancer diagnosed?
A: Colon cancer is usually diagnosed with a colonoscopy, which is a procedure where a flexible tube with a camera and light on the end is inserted into the colon to view the inside of the colon.
Q: What is the treatment for colon cancer?
A: Treatment for colon cancer typically involves surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. The type of treatment used depends on the stage of the cancer, the size of the tumor, and the patient’s overall health.
