Now, almost a decade later, Comer has stopped treatment and entered hospice care. “There were no treatment options that were working, and the chemo was making me sicker,” she explained.
Her message today is clear: get screened early. At the time of her diagnosis, colonoscopies were recommended starting at age 50. “If I had been screened at 45, I would have been inconvenienced for maybe 18 months—but it would not have been a death sentence,” she said. “Screen early. Try this. What about this?”
Colorectal cancer is the third-leading cause of cancer deaths in men and fourth in women in the U.S., with 52,900 expected deaths this year. While screenings have reduced cases overall, rates in those under 50 have risen by 2.5% yearly since 2012. Doctors now advise screening at 45, or earlier if there’s a family history.
