American Cancer Society's Relay For Life walk held in Gwinnett County
The American Cancer Society hoped to raise $700,000 to battle cancer.
The relay also had another purpose.
'Cancer does not see age, gender, socioeconomics. It doesn't see any of that. So for me, it's an opportunity for our whole community to come together to love on our survivors, to celebrate them,' breast cancer survivor Kirsten Baker said.
Channel 2's Karyn Greer served as emcee of the event, which also honored loved ones lost to cancer.
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Fox News
7 hours ago
- Fox News
Colorectal cancer may cause these 4 hidden warning signs, experts say
Colorectal cancer rates have soared among younger Americans, new research has found — and there might not always be obvious symptoms. The lifetime risk of developing colorectal cancer (CRC) is one in 24 for men and one in 26 for women, according to the American Cancer Society. It is the third-leading cause of cancer-related deaths in men and the fourth in women, but is the second most common cause when the numbers for men and women are combined. While there may be no symptoms of CRC before diagnosis, especially in the early stages, the following signs and symptoms should not be overlooked, experts say. According to the Colorectal Cancer Alliance, some symptoms of the disease can be similar to other causes, like hemorrhoids, infection or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). But a change in bowel habits — including diarrhea, constipation, narrow stools or feeling like your bowels are full even after a movement — can be a sign of CRC. Fight Colorectal Cancer, a leading patient advocacy group, noted on its website how bowel movements can change due to diet, infections, medications and other medical issues. A change in bowel movement schedule or stool appearance could also signal CRC. Fight CRC recommends calling a doctor if your stool is consistently abnormal, if you have sudden urges to pass stool but can't control it, if the stool is black, clay-colored, red or white, or if there is mucus or pus in the stool. Skinny, thin or pencil-like stool may also indicate an obstruction in the colon, like a tumor, but can also be caused by other harmless, temporary conditions. Persistent discomfort in the abdomen is another CRC symptom, the Colorectal Cancer Alliance reported on its site. This can include feelings of pain, nausea, cramping, bloating or feeling unusually full, even after not eating much. Severe, "knife-in-my-stomach type" abdominal pains warrant a visit to the emergency room, Fight CRC instructed — but even mild pains shouldn't be taken lightly. Blood in the stool, toilet or when wiping with toilet paper can be a major sign of colorectal cancer. Fight CRC stressed that any amount of rectal bleeding is not normal and should be brought to a doctor's attention for proper diagnosis. Since blood in the stool is a common symptom, Fight CRC instructed paying attention to where the blood is found, how often it occurs and whether bowel movements are painful. Unexplained weight loss can sometimes be caused by cancer and should be brought to the attention of a doctor, according to the Colorectal Cancer Alliance. Weight loss is the result of cancer cells "consuming the body's energy" as they multiply, Fight CRC explained, as the immune system expends more energy to fight and destroy cancer cells. This can also lead to feeling fatigue, weakness or shortness of breath. For more Health articles, visit These symptoms may also be a sign of anemia, which can develop from bleeding somewhere inside the body, like from a cancerous tumor. Weight loss can also be caused by a tumor blocking the colon or intestinal tract, which prevents proper nutrient absorption.


Newsweek
a day ago
- Newsweek
Millennial Spent the Summer Gardening in Yard, Then Came Shocking Diagnosis
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. "I know exactly how I got skin cancer. And I promise it could happen to you as well." That is the warning from 37-year-old April Catudal, who was recently diagnosed with Stage IA melanoma earlier this summer. The mom who lives in Roswell, Georgia, had never had any issues in previous exams. But, this year, her dermatologist noticed something different. "I was diagnosed earlier this summer after going in for my yearly skin exam in early June," Catudal told Newsweek. "My dermatologist immediately saw the mole and biopsied it, though he didn't expect it to be melanoma since it was an old mole that had grown in size. The biopsy came back as Stage IA melanoma." The diagnosis came as a shock—not because of any visible warning signs, but because of what she now realizes was a blind spot in her approach to sun safety. "The reason I decided to share is because I had been really naive about how important it is to protect my skin," Catudal said. "I thought I needed to absorb vitamin D, and also I had never had even one annual skin test come back as abnormal, so I had developed a lot of false confidence." Catudal said she hadn't considered herself high risk. She didn't use tanning beds, never had a bad burn in adulthood, and assumed that brief time in the sun wasn't dangerous. She also hadn't been aware of how prevalent skin cancer is, or how serious even early-stage melanoma can be. "I didn't know the skin cancer stats in the U.S., and I also wasn't aware of the emotional and physical toll the diagnosis would have on me, and I truly was as lucky as can be," Catudal added. A picture from the viral video where April shared her skin-cancer story. A picture from the viral video where April shared her skin-cancer story. @naturallyapril/Instagram Skin-Cancer Risk Factors The American Cancer Society's 2025 Cancer Statistics report an estimated 104,960 new cases of invasive melanoma are expected to be diagnosed in the United States this year, including 60,550 in men and 44,410 in women. Around 8,430 Americans (5,470 men and 2,960 women) are projected to die from the disease. The American Cancer Society says that exposure to ultraviolet rays is the biggest major risk factor for most melanomas. UV rays damage the DNA inside skin cells, and skin cancers can begin when this damage affects the genes that control skin cell growth. Around 1 in 10 people with melanoma have a family history of the disease, while there is also evidence that people with lighter skin colors and hair are more at risk. Catudal said she now believes she knows exactly how she got skin cancer, and it wasn't from tanning beds or sunbathing. It was gardening. "I was planting away all spring, removing old pine straw and planting new flower beds, bent with my neck directly exposed to the hot sun for hours at a time," Catudal said. "Dumb." While her dermatologist couldn't say definitively, he told her it could have been caused by either years of accumulated DNA damage or from a single repeated action, like that intense spring spent outdoors. "To be honest, my dermatologist said there's no way of knowing if it's years of accumulated skin DNA damage or way too much exposure from one repeated action (gardening)," Catudal said. What felt like harmless time in the sun—without sunscreen on just one spot—may have been all it took. Catudal's neck, left uncovered during hours in the yard, was where the melanoma appeared. And it is a mistake that many people make without realizing the potential cost. Catudal had the mole removed and is now cancer-free, but the diagnosis left a lasting impact and prompted her to share her story with others. "Either way, I'm just so relieved that I had stayed on top of my yearly exam, even though life was crazy," she said. "And now I'm so very grateful that I get to share my story, help other women in their relative prime stay safe and take care of their skin."
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Colorectal cancer diagnoses soar among younger adults for one key reason
Updated cancer screening guidance has reportedly caused a spike in diagnoses among younger Americans. According to two studies by the American Cancer Society (ACS), there's been a recent surge in colorectal cancer in people aged 45 to 49. ACS scientists found that after 15 years of stable colorectal cancer (CRC) trends, U.S. diagnoses of local-stage disease skyrocketed in this age group from 2019 to 2022 — including a 50% relative increase from 2021 to 2022. Prostate Cancer Screening After 70: Experts Question Guidance After Biden's Diagnosis "It is promising news, because the uptick in cases is likely due to first-time screening in the wake of new recommendations for younger, average-risk adults to begin testing for colorectal cancer earlier," lead author Elizabeth Schafer, an associate scientist and cancer researcher at ACS, commented in a press release. In 2018, ACS lowered the recommended age for CRC screenings from 50 to 45. The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) enforced the same guidance in 2021. Read On The Fox News App In the first study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), the researchers analyzed CRC diagnoses from 2004 to 2022 among adults aged 20 to 54, sorted by age, location and stage at diagnosis. 'Western Diet' Blamed For Growing Risk Of Gi Cancers Among Young Adults Diagnoses have increased by 1.6% each year since 2004 in the 20 to 39 age group, and by more than 2% annually since 2012 in those aged 40 to 44 and 50 to 54. A 1.1% annual increase in people 45 to 49 years old accelerated to 12% per year from 2019 to 2022. The ACS confirmed the increase was driven by the detection of local-stage tumors, which increased by nearly 19% each year for colon cancer and more than 25% for rectal cancer in that timeframe. Before this period, colon cancer detection rates had been stable, and rectal cancer detection rates had been declining. Rare Cancer Diagnoses Surge Dramatically Among Millennials And Gen X Advanced-stage disease also continues to steeply increase, ACS reported, rising from 1.7% to 2.9% annually since 2004 among adults under 45 and "even more rapidly" in the past 10 years in those aged 45 to 54. These findings led to another ACS study, also published in JAMA, which found that CRC screening among U.S. adults between 45 and 49 increased by 62% from 2019 to 2023. The scientists analyzed the data of more than 50,000 individuals to compare changes in screening. They found that CRC screening, which was at 20% in 2021, jumped to 37% in 2023. Among 45- to 49-year-olds, colonoscopy screening increased by 43%, and stool-based testing increased more than five times from 2019 to 2023. Lead author Jessica Star, associate scientist at ACS in Atlanta, considers it "thrilling" to see this increase in screening among younger individuals, as it's likely linked to earlier-stage diagnoses. "However, we still have a long way to go," she said in the release. "Screening for colorectal cancer in ages 45 to 49 remains suboptimal, and has not increased equitably by both educational attainment and insurance status." Paul E. Oberstein, M.D., medical oncologist and assistant director of the Pancreatic Cancer Center at NYU Langone Perlmutter Cancer Center, said the increase in screening is "successful in detecting more cancers at an early stage where the chance of cure is very high." Click Here To Sign Up For Our Health Newsletter "This ultimately should mean that fewer people are diagnosed later in life and fewer people have advanced colon cancer," Oberstein, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital. "This study reinforces the need to focus research on understanding the causes of colon cancer increases – and possible steps to reduce these cases." The rate of colon cancer in those under 45 remains "substantially lower," he noted, "so it is not clear yet if universal screening at a younger age is beneficial." Some specific patients who are younger than 45 may benefit from earlier screening, however, such as those with a family history or personal risk factors, the oncologist added. Exercise Program Reduces Common Cancer Recurrence And Boosts Survival As colon cancer continues to increase in younger individuals, Oberstein recommends contacting a doctor if any concerning symptoms are noticed. Dr. Craig Eagle, chief medical officer of Guardant Health in California, added that early detection is "crucial," noting that the five-year survival rate for CRC is over 90% when the disease is caught in early stages. For more Health articles, visit "[This] plummets to 13% in late stages when symptoms usually appear," Eagle, who also was not involved in the research, told Fox News Digital. "The rise in diagnoses for those in their 40s is an alarming reminder that screening must be easier and more accessible to reach the 50 million Americans who remain unscreened."Original article source: Colorectal cancer diagnoses soar among younger adults for one key reason Solve the daily Crossword