Growing Number Of Young People Being Diagnosed With Colorectal Cancer

Stephanie Stahl reports.

SECONDS BEFORE IT EXPLODED.AMAZINGLY THE DRIVER ONLYSUFFERED MINOR INJURIES.WOW.WELL, ALSO NOW A GROWINGNUMBER OF THE YOUNG PEOPLE AREBEING DIAGNOSED WITH COLONRECTAL CANCER.NOW MAIN LINE HEALTH HAS ATREATMENT THAT MAKE SURGERY ALOT EASIER ON PATIENTS.HEALTH REPORTER STEPHANIESTAHL WILL TELL YOU ABOUT IT.MARCH IS COLON CANCERAWARENESS MONTH, TREATMENTSCAN BE DIFFICULT, NOT JUST THESURGERY BUT WHAT PATIENTS ARELEFT WITH, AFTER THE SURGERY.WELL, THAT IS CHANGING NOW.WHITNEY AND HER HOUSE YOUHUSBAND LIVE IN NORTHCAROLINE AIR FREQUENT VISITORSTO LANKENAU HOSPITAL WHITNEYHOIST 29 ACE MONK A GROWINGNUMBER OF YOUNG AMERICANSDIAGNOSED WITH COLON RECTALCANCER.IT WAS REALLY HARD TO SORTOF BEING HIT WITH THAT OUT OFTHE BLUE.REPORTER: SHE STARTEDHAVING SYMPTOMS, PAIN,BLEEDING AND AFTER BABY WASBORN.IT WAS CHALKED OFF ASHEMORRHOID.SPECIFICALLY ASKED THEQUESTION, YOU KNOW, COULD THISBE SOMETHING MORE?IT WAS ALWAYS BECAUSE OF MYAGE, BEING PREGNANT.REPORTER: DOCTORS WERESAYING YOU TOO YOUNG TO HAVEI THINK I HAD THREEDIFFERENT DOCTORS TELL METHERE IS ABS LUT HI IN WAY.REPORTER: BUT IT WAS ANDTHEN CAME ANOTHER DEVASTATINGBLOW.WE WERE BASICALLY TOLD THATAFTER MY SURGERY I WOULD HAVEA PERMANENT PROCEDURE AWEIGHTY DIAGNOSIS FOR SOMEONEAT 26.REPORTER: THAT IS WHY THEYENDED UP HERE WITH DOCTOR JOHNMARKS WHO DEVELOPED ALAPAROSCOPIC SURGERY TO REMOVECANCER WHILE KEEPINGEVERYTHING INTERNAL.BY COMING FROM BELOW, WE'REABLE TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE AMARGIN AND THEN WE ARE ABLE TODO THE DISSECTION AND CREATE ANEW RECTUM UP HIGHER.THIS IS TO AVOID THE PERMANENTBAG.IT WAS A LIFE SAFER AND AQUALITY OF LIFE SAFER.REPORTER: SHE SAID IT WAS AROUGH JOURNAL THAT I INCLUDEDRADIATION, CHEMOTHERAPY BUTSHE IS FINE NOW BACK ENJOYINGHER CHILDREN AND WISHING THATSHE HAD BETTER DOCTORS,SOONER.I FEEL LIKE IF I HAD MADEOF A STAND TO SAY SOMETHING ISNOT RIGHT I WANT THIS TO BELOOKED AT MAYBE I COULD HAVECAUGHT IT SOONER.REPORTER: DOCTORS SAY IT ISUNCLEAR WHY YOUNG PEOPLE LIKEWHITNEY ARE BEING DIAGNOSEDWITH COLON RECTAL CANCER SOEARLY.MAYBE TOO MUCH PROCESSED FOODOR OBESITY, EARLY DETECTIONUSUALLY COMES WITH ACOLONOSCOPY BUT THOSE ARE NOTRECOMMENDED UNTIL AGE 45.THAT IS WHY DOCTORS SAY IT ISSO IMPORTANT TO WATCH FORSYMPTOMS AND GET THEM CHECKOUT IF IS THERE A PROBLEM.EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.