Jamie Froman had been suffering stomach pains for six months when his physician sent him for a colonoscopy and an endoscopy. The endoscopy revealed duodenal cancer, an aggressive form of colorectal cancer — yet a routine colonoscopy at age 40 had showed no signs of trouble. “It was metastatic from the get-go, so that was a big shock,” he says.
While his diagnosis felt overwhelming at first, Jamie knew it was essential to educate himself and find a health care partner that understood his needs. “I hadn’t thought a lot about my duodenum, and there was a lot of new jargon for me,” says Jamie. “I had discussions with physicians from seven different institutions, and I made a conscious choice with Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (SCCA) and UW Medicine. I was very impressed with Dr. Chiorean, my oncologist — both the science side and the soft side are really awesome.”
Diagnosed in 2013, Jamie has been an SCCA patient for four years. Now, the Seattle father of three hopes to do his part in curbing a disturbing trend: a 22 percent increase in colon and rectal cancer diagnoses in younger Americans since 2000, according to the American Cancer Society’s latest report.
“There’s a whole wave of young people being diagnosed with this disease,” Jamie says. “I myself was diagnosed relatively young at age 47. I think we need to change the misconception that this is just an old person’s disease.”
Jamie hopes his sentiments will be heard during the Call-On Congress, which wraps up Wednesday. The three-day event focuses on colon and rectal cancer survivors, caregivers and loved ones from across the U.S. The event seeks to unite and amplify their voices in Washington, D.C.
Call-On Congress has specific legislative goals. The group seeks sponsors for the Removing Barriers to Colorectal Cancer Screening Act. It's also advocating for increased investments in colorectal cancer research and protection of the Affordable Care Act.
Colorectal cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in both women and men: The American Cancer Society estimates that more than 135,400 Americans will be diagnosed this year. Rates of diagnosis have been dropping in older adults — but they have been increasing for adults under 50, the age at which people are recommended to start screening.
Jamie’s trip to the nation’s capital marks his first advocacy efforts for colorectal cancer patients and their supporters. His focus is on increasing awareness of the importance of screening and funding for research. He initially considered starting a new advocacy group for his rare form of cancer, but his research led him to Fight Colorectal Cancer. After talking with the organization’s founder, he decided to join them in their work.
“Fight Colorectal Cancer is doing things a solo patient couldn’t imagine doing in terms of advocacy and education,” Jamie said. “The goals that Fight Colorectal Cancer and I share relative to research and screening are coming into focus. I’m very hopeful."
Learn more about Fight Colorectal Cancer and Call-on Congress.
