A woman who ate deep-fried chicken and drank bubble milk tea every day was diagnosed with stage four colon cancer and had a colon full of feces, prompting a warning from a doctor to develop healthy eating habits.
The Taichung woman initially reported frequent constipation, but only sought medical treatment for abdominal distention and pain in June, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital physician Hsu Bei-hao (許倍豪) said.
Hsu, who works in the hospital’s Division of Gastrointestinal Surgery, said the woman in her 40s had a 10cm tumor in her colon, which was four times the average size.
The tumor was blocking feces, which had backed up to the small intestine, Hsu said.
If the feces had not been removed, she might have developed an infection, intestinal necrosis or even sepsis, he said, adding that the tumor had metastasized to the lymph node and the abdominal aorta.
When the woman came to the hospital’s emergency ward, paramedics initially thought she was about to give birth because of her swollen stomach, he said.
The woman reported having bowel movements once every three to five days and did not feel that anything was wrong, but after not having any movement for two weeks and experiencing abdominal distention and pain, she sought treatment, Hsu said.
The woman underwent a colonic stent placement and had her stool removed, Hsu said, adding that she now must undergo laparoscopic surgery to remove the tumor and many centimeters of the colon, followed by chemotherapy.
The woman asked when she would be allowed to eat fried chicken and drink milk tea again, which left him speechless, he said, adding that he asked her to cherish her life and stop eating food that contains high amounts of sugar and fat.
Hsu said that people eat food that is high in sugar, fat and salt more often than in the past, so more people are being diagnosed with colon cancer at younger ages.
He said he has performed surgery for colon cancer on four women in their 40s in the past month.
He urged people to avoid food that is high in fat and seek medical attention when there is a sudden change in bowel habits.
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