Thursday, October 1, 2026
A 73-year-old Freeport woman who survived Stage II colon cancer shared her powerful story during a colorectal cancer awareness program held March 4 at Mount Sinai South Nassau in Oceanside, where physicians also highlighted the importance of screening and early detection.
The annual awareness event, held during National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, featured testimony from cancer survivor Althea Harry along with a panel discussion and question-and-answer session with hospital specialists focused on the prevention, detection and treatment of colorectal cancer.
Harry told attendees that her diagnosis came after she noticed a change in her bathroom habits and quickly scheduled a colonoscopy.
“That colonoscopy came out that I had cancer. Now that was devastating,” Harry said.
But because she acted quickly and sought medical care right away, doctors were able to diagnose the disease at an early stage and begin treatment. Today, Harry is cancer-free.
“Colon cancer is curable once you address it immediately,” Harry said during the event. “They took away my fear and gave me calm serenity. They taught me to be positive.”
Hospital officials said stories like Harry’s highlight why routine screenings are essential.
Colorectal caner is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer among men and women in the United States, according to the American Cancer Society. While overall diagnosis rates have declines since the mid-1980s — largely due to increased screening and lifestyle awareness — trends among younger adults are raising concern.
From 2013 to 2022, colorectal cancer rates declined by about one percent annually overall. However, cases among adults younger than 50 increased by almost three percent per year during that time, and rates among adults between ages 50 and 64 increased slightly as well.
Medical experts say screening remains one of the most effective ways to reduce deaths from the disease because it allows physicians to detect cancer early or remove precancerous growths before they become dangerous.
“We strongly advocate regular screening for colon cancer because its symptoms often do not appear until the disease has reached later stages,” said Dr. Frank Caliendo, a colorectal and robotic surgeon at Mount Sinai South Nassau.
Caliendo explained that colonoscopies can detect and remove precancerous polyps before they develop into cancer.
“Small polyps are easily removed with these little lassos that we burn out those polyps,” he explained. “Now there’s even more technology where we can take out even bigger polyps.”
Current guidelines recommend that most adults begin regular colorectal cancer screenings at 45, though those with a family history of the disease may need to start earlier. Doctors also advise people to seek medical attention immediately if they experience symptoms such as abdominal pain, changes in bowel habits or rectal bleeding.
“It brings me great joy, as it does the rest of the doctors involved, when we have such a great outcome,” Caliendo said regarding Harry’s journey.
Joining Caliendo at the event were Dr. Dean Pappas, chief of colon and rectal surgery; Dr. Bhanu Singh, director of endoscopy and interventional gastroenterology; Dr. Abhinav Rohatgi of hematology and oncology; and Dr. Rajiv Datta, chair of surgery and medical director of the hospital’s Gertrude and Louis Feil Cancer Center.
Datta said the hospital hosts the annual awareness event to educate the community and encourage preventative care.
“This is an opportunity for doctors, patients and the community to highlight that this is a highly preventable, treatable disease,” Datta said. “Awareness, education and timely screening are extremely important.”
For Harry, sharing her story is about encouraging others to listen to their bodies and get checked.
“The message today is simple,” Pappas added. “Please get screened so you don’t have to deal with any of this.”
