Jewell Worley’s younger sister, Melissa, was in the ICU after her third major surgery. It had been 21 days since the start of the operation. Worley was hoping the end was in sight. After the first procedure, the family was informed that the cancer was no longer in the colon but had spread.
Melissa was only 42 years old, much younger than the age at which the American Cancer Society (ACS) recommends people with average risk begin screening—45. Melissa would take years to recover from cancer. The pain and suffering that Melissa and the family went through have changed their perspective of colon testing.