Patient Stories: Early diagnosis of colorectal cancer leads to a new lease on life

Susan Cafferty’s earliest colorectal cancer symptoms were subtle enough to miss. She struggled with declining endurance while training to run the Palmetto 200 and became concerned. Cafferty was diagnosed with heart arrythmia and thought that was the root of her issues.

However, during cardiac treatments Susan started experiencing GI problems. Initially she believed her constipation, bloating and other issues were just side effects of her cardiac medications, but as the issues continued and even worsened, she sought care.

At 51, she had never had a colonoscopy, and her physician encouraged her to schedule one. The screening detected multiple polyps, but also found a large tumor. With no family history and no specific symptoms that would have pointed to colorectal cancer, Cafferty was shocked at the diagnosis.

Cafferty was referred to Sidney Morrison, MD, a colorectal cancer surgeon at Prisma Health. The cancer had been detected early, giving her strong odds for full recovery.

Dr. Morrison chose robotic surgery for Cafferty’s care to allow for better visualization during the procedure and to help speed her recovery. Dr. Morrison was able to remove her tumor, multiple lymph nodes and the concerning polyps with minimally invasive surgery. She recovered quickly thanks to small incisions and careful resection.

Today, Cafferty is cancer free and an advocate for routine colonoscopy screenings. “Everybody I meet, I encourage them to get screened,” said Cafferty. “We owe it to ourselves to maintain health. What you don’t know, you can’t treat. Pay attention to your body, see your doctor.”