A Tale of Two Colorectal Cancer Patients

Debra Beyer and Michael Prisco have never met, but they share a journey—they had no family history of colorectal cancer and now have this advice for others:

“Do not wait to have your screening colonoscopy. When the guidelines say, start at age 50, they mean it!” says Beyer, who waited until age 53 and recalls “the shock of being told I had a growth.”

60 and Never Been Screened

“Getting screened on time is very critical,” emphasizes Prisco, who was diagnosed at age 60 with rectal cancer and had never had a colonoscopy. Because he had symptoms of bleeding and abdominal pain, his internist ordered a CT scan. “I was horrified,” says Prisco, “when it revealed a large tumor.”

Fast forward to good news: both Prisco and Beyer have been treated at The Cancer Institute at St. Joseph Medical Center by a multi-disciplinary team of doctors and specialists, and are doing very well.

“We personalize treatment for colorectal cancer,” explains oncologist Dr. Richard Schraeder. “The Cancer Institute offers the latest targeted treatment, not just based on the patient’s medical issues, but we analyze the genetics of the individual’s tumor as well.”

Surrounded By A Team

“The doctors formed a team around me,” says Prisco, who travelled to St. Joseph from Pennsylvania. “They came up with one plan. It spared me from going to different doctors. They completely take care of you.”

Prisco received radiation therapy along with oral chemotherapy. This shrank his tumor. Next, colorectal surgeon Dr. Howard Berg removed the entire rectum, leaving the sphincter muscles of the anus. Berg, director of the Colorectal Oncology Center, then constructed a j-pouch from his colon and attached this to the anus to provide natural function.

A less experienced surgeon more likely would have performed a permanent colostomy. Berg, who has done about 100 j-pouch surgeries, explains, “Patients need to search out experienced specialists and research their outcomes, which should be posted on their websites.”

Beyer had her entire descending colon removed by Berg and calls him “a fantastic surgeon.” Although she may be surgically cured, one of her lymph nodes was positive for cancer, so she received 12 weeks of chemotherapy.

“Amazing progress is being made in treating colorectal cancer,” explains Schrader. St. Joseph’s Cancer Institute is on the cutting edge of these breakthroughs.

But, screening is the first step. “A large polyp can turn into cancer in just three years,” says Berg. “It’s important to find polyps early and remove them.”