When should you screen for colon cancer?

What are the currently available screening options?

What are the new options on the horizon?

What about the rise of colorectal cancer in young people?

These are the questions I tackle in today's 25-minute episode of the Man Up to Cancer Podcast.

Got questions or comments? I want to hear them!

Cologuard

Fight CRC

Exact Sciences

Guardant Health

Colon Cancer Coalition

Classic SNL ad for Colon Blow

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ku42Iszh9KM

2023 SNL ad for Cologuard

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mu12X2cu6Y0

I'm joined on today's show by Joy and Isaac Moel, a mother and son from Iowa City, Iowa (Go Hawkeyes!).

Isaac was just 23 years old in April 2019 when he was diagnosed with stage IV colorectal cancer. He was otherwise healthy and had no family history or other red flags.

Just when Isaac was gaining independence as an adult, he was forced into the role of patient, depending on his mother to be his primary caregiver as he faced mutliple surgeries and grueling chemotherapy, radiation, and more.

The shocking diagnosis was a difficult blow for this tightknit family, yet they have fought this disease together with incredible courage, intelligence, grace, and heart.

In this episode, we discuss

• Isaac's engagement and upcoming wedding!
• The physical and emotional burdens of managing metastatic cancer over a period of years
• What it was like for mother and son to have him become dependent on her again, just as he was gaining independence
• Advice for other young men facing a cancer diagnosis
• Our mutual love for Iowa City, home to my alma mater, the University of Iowa
• The best pizza in the midwest (In my humble opinion)

My guest today is Ethan Zohn, a former professional soccer player, winner of the world's most famous reality show Survivor, humanitarian, philanthropist, author, inventor, investor, advocate for cannabis and psychedelics, with a special interest in helping cancer patients and survivors.

Ethan is the co-founder of the global non-profit, Grassroot Soccer, which has reached millions of youth in 60+ countries with vital health information and services.

Oh, and he's a two time survivor of CD20 positive Hodgkin’s Lymphoma who has been through the gauntlet of chemo, radiation, two stem cell transplants.

We talk about how at 50 he's now the "old curmudgeon" of the Survivor family tree; his uncanny resemblance as a teenager to Patrick Dempsey's nerdy character, Ronald Miller, from the movie "Can't Buy Me Love"; his insane number of side hustles since grade school; the emotional turmoil of his two bouts with lymphoma; how medical cannabis changed his life for the better; the pressure of going through cancer in the media spotlight; and how he found his authentic voice when he stopped saying what people wanted him to say, and started telling his truth about the cancer experience.

LINKS

EO Care: Medical Cannabis Care Plans for cancer patients, Survivors and caregivers : www.EO.care

Crunch Bowl - Amazon Link: https://a.co/d/6o46Ezf

Survivor Merch : www.EthanZohn.com

Dempsey Center: www.dempseycenter.org

Social Media Channels

X (Twitter): @ethanzohn

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ethanzohn

Follow on Facebook: www.facebook.com/EthanZohnSurvivor