I have an urgent warning to others after I went to the doctor for a stomach ache but left with a deadly diagnosis
Being a nonsmoker, nondrinker and fairly active person, cancer wasn’t on Brandon Arbini’s radar.
So when the then 41-year-old went to the doctor with mild stomach pain, he was shocked to discover he had stage 4 colon cancer.
The tech entrepreneur from California, who sold one of his startups for $30 million, told DailyMail.com that ‘there weren’t any clear warning signs’ and he had no history of cancer in his family.
‘Even the presence of small amounts of blood in my stool didn’t raise major concerns,’ the father-of-three added.
However, when Mr Arbini’s doctor scheduled a colonoscopy to investigate what the stomach pain could be, they could not complete the procedure as the tumor in his colon was so large.
Brandon Arbini from California, pictured with his wife and three children, discovered he had stage 4 liver cancer when he was just 41 years old
He says his biggest message to others is to seek medical help, even if the slightest thing feels off.
‘Cancer wasn’t on my radar, but I encourage you to put it on yours,’ he urges.
‘The best way to stop cancer is to prevent it from occurring in the first place.
‘If you’ve been putting off going to your doctor or you don’t want to get your colonoscopy, please remember my story.
‘Trust your gut if something doesn’t feel right. Get your cancer screenings.
‘Encourage your family and friends to get their screenings too and do everything they can to lower their cancer risk.
‘I’m grateful to be looking forward to celebrating more wedding anniversaries with my wife Jill, seeing my children grow up, and enjoying more tomorrows with my family and friends.’
When Mr Abini went for his first screening they found that the cancer had spread to his liver and lymph nodes.
Following the discovery, he was admitted to City of Hope Orange County – one of the world’s leading cancer centers – where he underwent a 10-hour surgery.
The tech entrepreneur from California , who sold one of his startups for $30 million, said there weren’t any clear warning signs’ and he had no history of cancer in his family
During the procedure, medics removed a foot-long portion of his large intestine, more than 20 lymph nodes and 25 percent of his liver.
Then Mr Arbini under went 12 rounds of chemotherapy and amazingly, in just six months, he achieved remission.
He says this part of his cancer story still brings him to his knees, as he feared the worst after his shock diagnosis.
Now three years on, 44-year-old Mr Arbini is keen to share his story to help raise awareness and to ‘inspire others to take care of themselves and each other.’
Dr Pashtoon Kasi, medical director of gastrointestinal medical oncology at City of Hope Orange County, told DailyMail.com that unfortunately, stories like Mr Arbini’s are on the rise.
He says exposure to toxins and dietary and lifestyle habits may create conditions that influence cancer development at an earlier stage.
Meanwhile, there have been some studies looking at antibiotic exposure in childhood and later development of colorectal cancer.
In a bid to curb rising cancer rates among young people, Dr Kasi says ‘education is vital.’
He concludes: ‘Younger adults need to understand the symptoms and prioritize screening, which helps detect cancers at their earliest, most treatable stages.
‘Community physicians must also stay informed about these trends and proactively order the necessary tests or workup if symptoms persist.
‘Lifestyle changes are equally important. Regular exercise, a healthy diet, reducing alcohol consumption, not smoking, and avoiding ultra-processed foods are all tangible essential steps till we get a better understanding of what else is contributing.
In addition, continued investment in cancer research is crucial. Groundbreaking diagnostics and treatments are emerging from leading cancer institutions like City of Hope.
The US has the sixth highest rate of early-onset cancers – 87 cases per 100,000 people – and colon cancer is among the fastest rising
‘These include simplified blood tests called liquid biopsies for cancer screening, immunotherapies for lung, colon, and breast cancers, and innovative studies such as linking the microbiome to cancer prevention.
‘By addressing all these preventive and treatment factors, it is possible that the trend in young adult cancers can be slowed down.’
The US has the sixth highest rate of early-onset cancers – 87 cases per 100,000 people – and colon cancer is among the fastest rising.
Diagnoses among people under 50 years old, which are classified as early-onset, are expected to rise by 90 percent in people 20 to 34 years old from 2010 to 2030.
The five-year survival rate for colon cancer is 64 percent, but that drops to 14 percent if the cancer has spread, which commonly occurs in early-onset cases because symptoms are often not present or are misdiagnosed until the cancer has spread throughout the body.
Symptoms include changes in bathroom habits, blood in stool, weakness, fatigue, nausea, loss of appetite, a lump in the abdomen or rectum, diarrhea, abdominal cramping, constipation and vomiting.
