Natasha Mathias lost her twin sister Natalie to colon cancer when Natalie was 42.
“Colon cancer at 38. That wasn’t something that we would’ve ever thought,” said Mathias. “She just thought she was tired a lot, she was dealing with fibroids, which I believe masked the colon cancer.”
Natalie’s death highlights a troubling trend across the United States and South Florida: more adults under 50 years old are being diagnosed with cancer.
Oncologists at Memorial Cancer Institute in Hollywood are seeing more cases.
“That feeling that because you’re young this will not affect you, this will not get to you, unfortunately it’s not true,” said Dr. Brian Hunis, Medical Director of Medical Oncology at Memorial Cancer Institute. “I would tell you being part of that age group, it is scary because we used to treat people older than we are. And it’s not quite frequent to treat people our age or younger.”
The American Cancer Society estimates by the year 2030, early onset cancer diagnoses will be up 30% and cancer patient deaths will increase nearly 20%.
Why this is happening is much more complex. Our diet, environment, lack of exercise, drug and alcohol use are all believed to be factors. Dr. Hunis says above all it’s the food we eat.
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“You only have one body you might as well feed it right. It’s easier said that done because unfortunately it’s a lot cheaper and easier to eat unwell that to do it well,” said Dr. Hunis.
Dr. Hunis adds it’s crucial to listen to your body. See a doctor if you notice significant changes to how you’re feeling, especially if it lasts weeks or months.
“Don’t wait, don’t neglect it. Many of these things are best handled the sooner the better. By that I mean sooner can be curable most times,” said Dr. Hunis.
Mathias is now dedicated to spreading the word about cancer screenings.
“First understand how important it is to get the screening. I know it doesn’t sound fun, but colon cancer is preventable, treatable an beatable when caught in early stages,” said Mathias.
