{"id":28777,"date":"2020-01-22T09:46:11","date_gmt":"2020-01-22T16:46:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?p=28777"},"modified":"2023-06-23T10:46:35","modified_gmt":"2023-06-23T16:46:35","slug":"being-diagnosed-with-colon-cancer-now-what","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/being-diagnosed-with-colon-cancer-now-what\/","title":{"rendered":"Now what? Getting the best treatment after being diagnosed with colon cancer"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Amandamae Alexander, right, enjoys a moment with her father, Keith. Photo by Joel Blocker for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

On a recent outing at a bowling alley, Keith Alexander grinned widely as he nudged his way between his teenage son and youngest daughter as they sat on a long bench. Keith raised his arm to give his middle child a high five; she\u2019d just picked up the spare.<\/p>\n

Keith and his family, who had been through so much, enjoyed the simple moment.<\/p>\n

Only a few months earlier, Keith, 55, a father of three children, was far from family bowling night.<\/p>\n

When the symptoms of colorectal cancer are there<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Dawn and Keith Alexander. Photo by Joel Blocker for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Keith and Dawn, his wife, arrived at the UCHealth Urgent Care Clinic – Harmony Campus<\/a> in Fort Collins on Sept. 24, 2018, looking to get ahead of what he thought might be gallstones or a bug. He had not been feeling well for several days, and just having been promoted at work, he didn\u2019t want to risk being out sick. He expected to get a prescription and be on his way.<\/p>\n

As Dr. Michele Clingenpeel listened intently to Keith, a 55-year-old father of three, explain his symptoms, she sensed something more was going on.<\/p>\n

\u201cBy what he was telling me, I couldn\u2019t brush it off as just a gastrointestinal bug,\u201d she said. She ordered a CT scan and blood work.<\/p>\n

Her hunch was right. Although blood work can\u2019t detect cancer, it revealed Keith had internal bleeding and infection. A CT scan showed a large mass on Keith\u2019s colon and spots on his liver.<\/p>\n

Clingenpeel delivered the unexpected and devastating news to the Alexanders: an almost certain metastatic colon cancer<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI asked her three times, \u2018You are kidding, right? You have to be kidding,\u2019\u201d Dawn remembered.<\/p>\n

The colon and rectum<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Colon cancer symptoms<\/strong><\/p>\n

The symptoms of colorectal cancer<\/a> \u2014 also known as bowel cancer, colon cancer or rectal cancer, depending on where it originates \u2014 can be similar to other less life-threatening issues, such as irritable bowel syndrome, hemorrhoids or infection. Many people who have the following symptoms don\u2019t have cancer. Still, the American Cancer Society<\/a> recommends you see your provider if you have any of these symptoms.<\/p>\n