Colon cancer survivor talks about the importance of screening and early detection

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) – Health experts recently reported an increase in colon cancer cases among young adults across the United States, but they don’t yet have many answers as to why.

Almost nine years without cancer, Amy Miller raises awareness of the disease and stresses the importance of getting screened.

Miller is a registered nurse in the inpatient operating room at UW Health.

“You see a lot of crazy things, but at the same time you wonder if I’m overreacting? Am I a bit of a hypochondriac? Is this really something to worry about? she says.

At 30 and with no family history of the disease, Miller was diagnosed with stage 2 colon cancer. She had just had her third child and was experiencing symptoms like bleeding.

Over time, she knew something was wrong.

“It came as a shock. Especially when a provider tells you that you’re too young for this disease and it turns out that you’re not,” Miller said. “I think the outcome would have been very different if I hadn’t been tested when I did and might not be here today to talk about it.”

Over the span of ten months, Miller underwent multiple surgeries, radiation, and rounds of oral and IV chemotherapy.

Dr. Sam Lubner, Amy Miller’s oncologist at the UW Carbone Cancer Center, said colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States with about 150,000 cases per year and about 50,000 deaths. Dr. Lunber said the good news is that there are ways to prevent colon cancer, like screenings.

“So that’s the kind of thing that Cancer doesn’t really care how old you are,” Lubner said.

Miller is a big advocate for early screenings and knowing your body. She said her three daughters will be screened for colon cancer early as they get older.

“It’s a great joy in the life of an oncologist when we can say, ‘I never want to see you again,’ and the patient says, ‘I never want to see you again, either,'” Lubner said. “Of course we sort of laugh about it, but it’s fun to see her working here in the hospital and every once in a while giving her a high five in the hospital knowing she’s been where the patients have been.”

The directory Bowlin’ for Settlers Fundraiser benefits others with stories, like Miller’s.

“Whether it’s supporting funding for future research so that as my children grow up, hopefully their risk will be less because we may have other answers.” And just to encourage people to get tested. It may seem like a scary thing, like an invasive thing, but it’s really not that bad. The results can be very significant,” Miller said.

Bowlin’ for Settlers will take place on Sunday, March 12. NBC15 is a proud sponsor of this year’s fundraising event.

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