Kim Hoogzaad (34) from Rosmalen had colon cancer. It took nine months before she was referred. “It was thought that I was too young for colon cancer,” she explains. “I was very scared.” Kim ended up in the expertise center of the Catharina Hospital in Eindhoven. There they see more and more young people with colon cancer. “My youngest patient was 27 years old,” says surgeon Johanne Bloemen.
Kim went to the doctor at the beginning of last year with one complaint. “I had blood in my stool. That was all. I was very fit and healthy. I was training for the marathon.”
She was too young to have colon cancer, it was thought. Ten years ago, the bowel cancer screening program started and focuses on people aged 55 to 75. In Kim’s case, the blood in her stool had to be something else. “They then come with a tear or constipation. All things you can think of yourself. I was first sent home with creams and ointments. Stool bags.”
After nine months, Kim was fed up. “My father also had colon cancer eight years ago. Colon cancer was discussed with me, but it was not followed up. While the complaints continued to get worse. Ultimately it takes so long that you think it can’t be good anymore.”
She was referred. And in October last year she was diagnosed with rectal cancer. “That was surreal. I was told for a long time that I was too young to have colon cancer. It took a while for it to sink in and for the realization to be there.”
“The radiation and chemo really took a toll on me. I couldn’t do anything myself anymore.”
This was followed by treatment with surgery, radiation and chemo tablets. There was a chance that Kim would get a stoma. “That was immediately my biggest nightmare. Going into surgery, I asked, “I’m not going to wake up with a stoma, am I?” Although I understand that people are very happy if that is the only option.” Ultimately, Kim did not need a stoma.
The treatments have completely disrupted Kim’s life. “The radiation and chemo really took a toll on me. My work came to a standstill. I have my own business. Within the family too. I couldn’t make many trips to school. I missed my son’s matches. My parents took care of a lot. I also spent months there in the house after the operation because I could no longer do anything myself.”
“What will happen to my young family?”
Every year, four thousand Dutch people die from colon cancer. “After my trajectory I had to think about that. I’ve had something so bad it could have killed me. What if I drop out? What will happen to my young family? My son is too young to be left alone. That has often crossed my mind.”
Kim does have a tip for young people if they have complaints. “Go to the doctor. Don’t let yourself be sent away. Make sure it is checked. It is better to have it checked and see if there is nothing wrong, than to be there as I was there.”
Colon cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer. The Catharina Hospital in Eindhoven has an expertise center for colon cancer. Every year, 250 patients are treated here, from all over the Netherlands. It is striking that they are increasingly seeing younger patients. There are 12,000 new patients in the Netherlands every year. Ten percent of them are under 50 years old. In Eindhoven they use a new treatment technique that can prevent people from getting a stoma. The video accompanying this article explains more about this.
Kim underwent the treatment at the Catharina Hospital in Eindhoven. Surgeon Johanne Bloemen is increasingly seeing young patients there. “These are people in their twenties, thirties and forties. This group is of course very young. Still in the middle of life. It is very serious to get colon cancer.”
“We don’t know exactly what causes someone to get colon cancer. There are a number of factors that cause it, such as lifestyle. Think of obesity and diabetes. There are also genetic factors. People who have families where colon cancer is common. A lot of research is being done all over the world.”
Back to Kim: she was examined this month and on Monday she received very good news: “The treatment has worked. I am clean.”
 had colon cancer: ‘I’m not going to wake up with a stoma, am I?’){kind=link}