Mother warns others after stage 4 colon cancer diagnosis at 33

HARTSELLE, Ala. (WHNT) – While rates for colorectal cancer are on the decline for older generations, they’ve spiked among people under the age of 50, according to a study by the American Cancer Society (ACS).

It now has a higher mortality rate for people under the age of 50 in the U.S. than any other cancer.

A routine colonoscopy, however, is not recommended for the average person until age 45. For patients like Brooke Pangrazio, that would have come 12 years after her stage 4 colon cancer diagnosis at age 33.

“I already had liver metastasis, and I have a few small ones on my lungs now as well. So right now I am treatable, but not curable,” Pangrazio, now 35, told Nexstar’s WHNT.

The mother of three gets chemo every other week.

“I get an infusion at the hospital, and I come home with a chemo pump so I get chemo for three days straight,” Pangrazio said. “I get it done on Monday. By Friday or Saturday, I’m feeling a lot better and then I have a whole week to pretend like I don’t have cancer, because that’s what I do.”

She finds joy in all she does, smiling as she explained how much she enjoys the week in between each treatment because she can spend even more time with her kids. Her children are 12, 7, and 4.

“Looking back, I feel like I noticed symptoms, small things, for years before I was diagnosed. I would have changes in my bowel movements, like, I would have a little blood when I would go,” she continued. “I started having that around the time my 7-year-old was born, and I was told it was probably hemorrhoids. ‘You just had a baby. It’s just hemorrhoids,’ you know?”

Right before Pangrazio was diagnosed, she said she had unexpectedly lost a lot of weight and was sleeping more than usual. When she did sleep, she’d get intense night sweats. She also said she had a fever every other week. With no family history, though, she never thought colon cancer would be the cause.

“It was definitely very shocking, you know, of course I did lots of googling, and Google was like, ‘This is an old person’s cancer.’ That’s why they tell you starting at 40, you should get the colonoscopy starting at 45,” Pangrazio explained.

Her support system, which includes her husband, Aaron, her three kids, and many more, has been there for her since the diagnosis. Her sister even started a GoFundMe to help cover various medical expenses and travel costs.

The GoFundMe has since reached over $15,000.

Pangrazio’s case is part of a troubling trend. ACS scientists analyzed trends in diagnoses for colorectal cancer, finding that 3 in 4 colorectal cancers in adults younger than 50 are diagnosed at an advanced stage.

The report finds 45 percent of new colorectal cancer cases occur in adults under 65. That’s up 18 percent since 1995.

Pangrazio said she’s now using her story to encourage other younger adults to advocate for themselves if they feel something isn’t right, in hopes that if there is something serious happening, it’s not found as late-stage as her cancer was.

“I feel like I’m pretty relatable. I’m a mom. I’ve got three kids. I hope just hearing my story will help somebody, hopefully just not get to this stage,” she said. “Talk to your doctor. Ask for a colonoscopy.”

Despite all she goes through as she learns how to live with colon cancer, the mother of three keeps a smile on her face, making it a mission to find joy every day.

“What good would it do to be sad about it? It wouldn’t change anything,” she said. “As much as chemo sucks, it’s giving me the ability to be here with my children, so I’m very grateful and thankful for it.”

Pangrazio is confident that as medicine continues to advance, her chances of living a good, longer life increase. She has seen other patients live long lives with advanced-stage cancer and has faith that it can happen for her, too. She hopes one day to be eligible for surgery to remove the cancer entirely.

Until then, Pangrazio said she takes things one joyful moment at a time.

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