Fitness influencer Maria Kang speaks out about cancer diagnosis

The post quickly racked up 16 million views and sparked endless anger from women who took umbrage at what they saw as a humiliating attack. Kang was called odious, a tyrant, an idiot. But that only fueled her fire, catapulting her into years of frenetic health and wellness entrepreneurship: she owns a collection of nursing homes, runs the organizations Fitness Without Borders and No Excuse Mom (with spinoffs including calendars and a book) and recently became a breathing instructor. And the media moments continued, as she spoke candidly about everything from having her breast implants removed to the dissolution of her marriage.

Now she’s speaking out about a major event in her life: she was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer.

“I thought I would never talk about this,” Kang, 43, tells Fortune (although she shared the news on social media and on her blog). “But I want to raise awareness that this can happen to anyone…I was the symbol of health and well-being.”

She says she spent a year believing her digestive problems, anemia and abdominal pain were symptoms of something benign, like hemorrhoids or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and she doesn’t want that. others make the same mistake. When her doctor discovered she had low iron levels, he ordered a CT scan, which revealed a mass. A colonoscopy and biopsy confirmed it was cancer that had already spread to a lymph node, making it stage 4.

“You go through a whole range of emotions, and there was a part like, ‘Why me?’ I did everything. I meditate. I have no anger towards anyone. You start to get angry…but then you realize you’re not alone.

That’s more true than ever, in fact, because rates of colorectal cancer are rising rapidly among people under 50, even as they are declining among people over 65, according to a report released in January by the American Cancer Society. (Rates have even increased among children and adolescents, according to just-released data.)

“We don’t know exactly what’s causing this increase in colorectal cancer cases among young people,” Dr. James McCormick, system chief of colon and rectal surgery at Allegheny Health Network in Pittsburgh, told Fortune. “Although there are people who have a genetic predisposition to develop colorectal cancer, this does not explain the current situation. It must be due to some environmental, dietary or lifestyle factor, or perhaps most likely a combination of all three. This includes the air we breathe and the water we drink, he says, adding that known risk factors include “all the hallmarks of a Western diet,” such as high consumption of animal fats and meat. processed and low fiber intake, as well as obesity and obesity. a sedentary lifestyle.

So what about Kang and others like her?

“It is important to note however that I have seen many young patients who come into my office and report having a healthy diet, maintaining a very active lifestyle and a healthy weight, but still developed colorectal cancer in twenties and thirties despite these intentional efforts. ” says McCormick.

In other words, it can be a breeze.

Understanding the symptoms of colorectal cancer

The list of symptoms commonly attributed to colorectal cancer, according to McCormick, “are a change in your bowel habits, bleeding, fatigue, abdominal pain, bloating, or unintentional weight loss.” Bleeding and anemia – which Kang suffered – as well as unintentional weight loss, he adds, “always need to be assessed.”

As for other signs, he says, it’s true that many people experience abdominal pain, bloating and fatigue and attribute it to IBS or other benign causes. But while doctors were comfortable 20 years ago making diagnoses of IBS and hemorrhoids in healthy young people in the absence of a family history of colon cancer, “not anymore,” says -it, due to the doubling of incidence in this group during this period.

“Be careful,” advises McCormick. “You can’t diagnose hemorrhoids or irritable bowel syndrome at home based on descriptions found on the Internet. The truth is that irritable bowel syndrome is a diagnosis of exclusion – meaning we can’t make a diagnosis without excluding more worrisome diagnoses – and the things we exclude are things like colon cancer and inflammatory bowel diseases.

So, when is it important to get checked? Besides bleeding, anemia and unintentional weight loss, he advises: “I think the most important differentiator is change: change in bowel habits, change in pain, change in bloating and persistent fatigue.” Pay attention to what is “normal” for you and be aware if that changes. If it persists for more than a few weeks, get checked out, he suggests, and insist on a colonoscopy.

Mastering prevention

Preventative colonoscopies, currently recommended starting at age 45 in the absence of risk factors or major symptoms, are the “gold standard,” says McCormick, because they help eliminate precancerous lesions and stifle the development of cancer. in the egg. But alternatives, including stool testing in the form of a FIT test or Cologuard, are excellent options, as long as you proceed with a colonoscopy if the results are positive. “But the most important thing is that people do something to get tested,” he says.

Another doctor’s tip is to focus on what you control: eat a high-fiber diet with lots of fresh fruits and leafy green vegetables; minimize red and processed meats and alcohol; stick to nuts, seeds, legumes, fish and chicken for protein sources; exercise for 30 minutes 4 to 5 times a week at least; maintain a healthy weight; know your body and be vigilant. “Don’t ignore the symptoms and insist on a colonoscopy,” he emphasizes, “regardless of your age.”

Kang confirms this and also adds a bit of his own wisdom.

“One in two women will get cancer, and we keep thinking, ‘If I do this, if I do this, I won’t get it.’ “But sometimes it doesn’t matter how young or healthy you are,” she says. “I don’t want to create fear, I want to raise awareness that it’s possible. So, I want everyone to live their best life, to be joyful, to be happy. Live the life you want to live today.

Learn more about colorectal cancer: