There may be a promising new treatment on the horizon for advanced breast cancer patients, according to developing research.
Researchers are studying the cancer-killing drug trastuzumab rezetecan for those with ERBB2-low metastatic breast cancer, whose tumors have low levels of HER2, a protein that can help cancer cells grow.
A phase 3 clinical trial called HORIZON-Breast06 sought to determine whether the drug works better than standard chemotherapy for patients with this cancer type.
The researchers analyzed 551 female patients across 73 hospitals in China who were randomly assigned to receive either the drug intravenously every three weeks, or the physician’s choice of chemotherapy. The study period lasted from June 2023 to August 2025.
The drug significantly delayed cancer progression compared with chemotherapy, giving patients more than a year before their cancer began growing again.
The median time without tumor growth was 16.4 months compared to 6.8 months with chemo.
Patients who received trastuzumab rezetecan were 73% less likely to have their cancer worsen or die during the study than patients who received chemotherapy.
The drug appeared to delay cancer progression in patients with both hormone receptor-positive and hormone receptor-negative breast cancer.
The results were published in JAMA.
Tumors shrank in 75.5% of patients who received the drug, compared with 41.2% of those who received chemotherapy.
At the 12-month mark, 90.6% of trastuzumab rezetecan patients were alive, compared to 81.4% of chemo patients.
The authors concluded that trastuzumab rezetecan provided "significant progression-free survival benefit over physician’s choice of chemotherapy in patients with ERBB2-low advanced breast cancer."
Loren Rourke, a Texas-based breast surgical oncologist and author in Texas, called the results "incredibly encouraging."
"When you're talking about women living with advanced breast cancer, those months matter," Rourke, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital. "They represent more time when the cancer is being held in check and potentially more opportunities to enjoy life without the disease getting worse."
What makes these findings especially exciting, according to the oncologist, is that the treatment showed benefits across different types of breast cancer.
"It's another important step forward, and it gives us genuine reason to be hopeful," she said. "A treatment that can keep cancer from progressing for a longer period has the potential to make an enormous difference in a patient's life."
While the drug may cause fewer serious lung problems than similar treatments, it was linked to other side effects, including anemia and other blood-related problems.
Serious side effects occurred in more than 84% of patients who received the new drug, compared with nearly 68% of those who received chemotherapy.
Rourke emphasized the importance of considering the side effects, "because more time without cancer progression doesn't automatically mean better quality of life."
"We need to better understand the side effects, particularly the significant decreases in blood counts that can lead to fatigue, anemia and increased risk of infection," she said.
The researchers acknowledged that toxicity occurred more frequently and often required dose modification, although they said these effects were "generally manageable."
"As exciting as these findings are, there are still important questions we need to answer," Rourke told Fox News Digital. "We know this treatment delayed cancer progression, but we don't yet know whether it will help patients live longer. That's an important distinction."
A new study found cellular differences between colon cancer tumors in younger and older patients.
Sheila Alonso/Getty Images
A new study explored the differences between tumors in younger and older colon cancer patients.
Younger patients sometimes had more aggressive, treatment-resistant forms of colon cancer.
Staying active, cutting down on processed foods, and getting screened are good ways to lower risk.
People under 50 aren't only at a higher risk of colon cancer today than they were a few decades ago. They're also developing a different, sometimes more aggressive form of it compared to older patients, scientists say.
A new study published in Nature Medicine analyzed 189 tumors from colorectal cancer patients aged 29 to over 90, including measurements of gene activity in more than 850,000 cancer cells.
The goal was to look at how tumors varied "across the entire spectrum of age," Dr. Ana Anderson, a co-senior author of the study who leads the cancer immunology program at the Gene Lay Institute at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, told Business Insider. "Is it the same colon cancer but just happening in younger people, or is there something different about it?"
As a result, the study was able to map out gradual, subtle differences in colorectal cancer tumors correlated with age. While the researchers couldn't pinpoint exactly why tumors in younger people look different, Anderson said the study is an exciting starting point for further research.
"There's a lot of interest in lifestyle factors and environmental exposures as potential contributors; however, nothing specific has been pinned down," Anderson said. "What we did is take a rather simple but comprehensive approach just to try to understand the disease itself."
Younger patients' tumors had a different cellular makeup
Fibroblasts are types of stromal cells that can create a "shield" around tumors and make them harder to treat. They were more prevalent in younger patients.
wildpixel/Getty Images
The study's researchers couldn't definitely state that colon cancer in younger patients is always more aggressive — that would require more study.
However, what they did find was that younger patients "generally have more aggressive disease and they are generally more resistant to the standard of care therapies, which is mostly chemotherapy," Anderson said.
Tumors in younger patients generally had a higher presence of supporting and connecting cells known as stromal cells. Stromal cells, such as fibroblasts, can produce factors that suppress the immune response, making it harder for chemotherapy drugs to work. "They essentially can form a shield that protects the tumor from infiltration," Anderson said.
The study found that the presence of stromal cells generally declined from younger to older patients, and the youngest patients tended to have the highest number of stromal cells in proportion to cancer cells.
The reverse was true for the oldest patients, who generally had the fewest stromal cells and the highest numbers of cancer cells.
Researchers narrowed down where to look for answers
Not enough research has been done on long non-coding RNAs, which had higher levels of activity in younger colon cancer patients.
InnerVerse/Getty Images
Younger patients also had higher activity of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), which are associated with cellular signaling in cancer. The study also found gene activity in younger patients that suggested stronger signaling between cells — potentially helping cancer cells move and invade nearby tissue.
The problem is, lncRNAs are still a fairly recent discovery; they only became linked to cancer research in the late 2000s, with some poorly understood ones referred to as "dark RNAs." "A lot of them have just not been researched, and that's why they're called 'dark RNAs' — it's a big mystery," Anderson said.
For that reason, she said it was the finding she considered most promising. "There's a world of biology to be discovered there — we know where to focus our research efforts," she said.
Anderson, an immunologist, also hopes to explore the presence of immune cells in younger colon cancer cases, as immune cells are involved in killing cancer cells but were "under-captured" in this study, she said. "There are many types of immune cells," she said. "Are there different subsets that are more present in the young tumors or absent in the young tumors versus the older tumors?"
Reduce your risk with these simple habits
Regular exercise can reduce your risk of developing colon cancer.
ArtistGNDphotography/Getty Images
While the study doesn't present any immediate new takeaways for young people concerned about colon cancer, Anderson suggested following existing guidance for lowering your risk.
She noted that the recommended screening age for most people was lowered from 50 to 45 a few years ago, but that it's wise to see a doctor sooner if you experience common colon cancer symptoms like rectal bleeding, abdominal pain, bloating, or changes in bowel movements.
If you're "extra cautious," she said, it's never a bad idea to stay active and cut down on inflammatory foods such as ultraprocessed snacks and alcohol.
No es habitual ver a un puñado de oncólogos invadidos por la emoción y la euforia. Tampoco que las gráficas de alguno de sus estudios se viralicen en redes sociales. Pero este año ha ocurrido. Y más de una vez. El pasado mayo, en Chicago, durante el congreso de la Sociedad Americana de Oncología (ASCO, por sus siglas en inglés), un auditorio entero se puso en pie para aplaudir los resultados de una terapia dirigida que logra duplicar la supervivencia en cáncer de páncreas, un tumor de muy mal pronóstico. Y este fin de semana, en Madrid, centenares de oncólogos de medio mundo volvieron a ponerse en pie: esta vez, una ovación espontánea recorrió el congreso europeo de oncología al conocerse que un ensayo para el cáncer de pulmón más agresivo lograba una mejora de la supervivencia nunca vista en ese tumor. “Estamos viendo una explosión de diferentes fármacos. Y esta innovación no está ocurriendo solo en los tumores más frecuentes, sino también en algunos más raros y agresivos. Esto es muy importante y significativo”, reflexiona la oncóloga Ángela Lamarca, coordinadora del Comité de Comunicación del congreso europeo.
À la clinique La Croix du Sud, à Quint-Fonsegrives, le Dr Benjamin Pradère a traité une tumeur de la vessie au laser, sous anesthésie locale et en dix minutes, selon l’établissement. Présentée comme une première dans...
A Anvisa (Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária) determinou a suspensão da comercialização, distribuição e uso de lotes de dois medicamentos utilizados no tratamento do câncer e de uma solução intravenosa nesta quarta-feira (28).
A medida foi publicada no DOU (Diário Oficial da União) e envolve os produtos Simbeva, Abevmy e Ringer com Lactato.
A resolução abrange três lotes específicos. Confira a seguir:
Simbeva: lote BF25008896, fabricado pelo Laboratório Teuto Brasileiro S/A
A empresa iniciou o recolhimento voluntário após resultado fora das especificações no teste de endotoxinas bacterianas.
Abevmy: lote BF26002105, fabricado pela Biocon Biologics do Brasil Ltda
O recolhimento voluntário também foi motivado por resultado fora das especificações no teste de endotoxinas bacterianas.
Solução de Ringer com Lactato: lote M 0465 26, fabricado pela JP Indústria Farmacêutica S/A
A medida foi adotada após análise fiscal identificar partículas escuras de tamanhos variados em suspensão no conteúdo da bolsa.
Para os lotes de Simbeva e Abevmy, a Anvisa determinou a suspensão da comercialização, distribuição, exportação e uso. Para o Ringer com Lactato, a resolução prevê a suspensão da comercialização, distribuição e uso.
Por que os lotes foram suspensos?
As endotoxinas bacterianas são componentes que podem provocar respostas inflamatórias no organismo. A identificação de resultados fora das especificações exigidas para os medicamentos levou ao recolhimento dos dois lotes de produtos oncológicos.
No caso do Ringer com Lactato, o laudo de análise fiscal do Instituto Adolfo Lutz apontou resultado insatisfatório no ensaio de descrição e aspecto, devido à presença de partículas escuras na solução.
Fabricantes foram procurados
A CNN Brasil procurou o Laboratório Teuto Brasileiro, a Biocon Biologics do Brasil e a JP Indústria Farmacêutica para obter informações sobre as medidas adotadas, a distribuição dos lotes e a orientação aos estabelecimentos de saúde.
As respostas estavam pendentes até a publicação desta reportagem.
A causa da morte doator Richard Riehle, famoso por seu papel como Tom Smykowski no filme “Como Enlouquecer Seu Chefe” (1999), foi divulgada pelo site TMZ. Ele morreu aos 78 anos no dia 19 de outubro.
De acordo com a certidão de óbito obtida pelo site, o falecimento foi causado por um AVC — tendo como causa um câncer orofaríngeo, um tipo de câncer de garganta.
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Durante a carreira, o artista participou de mais de 400 projetos na indústria cinematográfica, e seu último trabalho foi em “The Cowboy Killer”, em 2026.
Seu papel de maior destaque foi em “Como Enlouquecer Seu Chefe”.
No filme, interpreta Tom, o gerente de produto que é demitido, sobrevive a um atropelamento e recebe uma indenização milionária. O dinheiro lhe permite seguir seus sonhos e construir seu protótipo do tapete “Jump to Conclusions” (tirar conclusões precipitadas).
Riehle foi indicado a nove prêmios — vencendo seis deles. Entre as vitórias estão no Festival Internacional de Cinema de Mônaco, com “The Sacrifice” (2009), e no The Eclipse Awards, com “The Acorn” (2018).
Azucena (Suzy) Reyes, now 43, was diagnosed with stage 3B colon cancer in her early 30s.
Suzy Reyes
Azucena "Suzy" Reyes went to the ER several times for nausea and stomach pain.
After months of back and forth, she finally learned she had a mass in her large intestine.
Despite first being told she was 'too young' for colon cancer, she was diagnosed at stage 3B.
No matter how healthy she tried to eat or how often she ran 4 miles at her community college, Azucena "Suzy" Reyes felt bloated in her stomach.
"I looked like I was pregnant," Reyes, who's 43 and based in Alvin, Texas, told Business Insider. At 32, she was studying to be a certified nurse assistant while running a construction company with her husband and raising their four children together.
Then, her symptoms got worse. She was frequently exhausted, which she attributed to working out and being busy. She started getting fevers and feeling intense nausea. There was also her severe stomach pain.
"I really thought it was an ovary that had burst because it was that painful," she said.
Between August and October in 2015, Reyes went to the ER four times, originally diagnosed with inflammation in her intestines. When she finally saw a GI doctor in October, she was sent to the ER a fifth time, where she had emergency surgery and learned she had stage 3 colon cancer.
"I was scared because I did not know anything about colon cancer," Reyes said. "It was very, very dramatic to me because I didn't want my children to go through the fear of thinking that I was going to die."
She was told she likely didn't have cancer because of her age and race
After the ER staff looked at her vitals, Reyes was first diagnosed with colitis and enteritis, inflammation of the small and large intestines, as well as a microperforation. She was sent home with antibiotics. When the pain didn't go away, she returned to the ER and was put on a PICC line to administer medication and kept in the hospital for three weeks. Around the same time, Reyes tried to book a GI appointment and was put on a waitlist until early October.
When the PICC line was removed, the nausea came back. The next two ER visits didn't yield more answers. By the time she finally saw her GI, she couldn't keep still long enough because she kept throwing up.
Within hours, Reyes and her husband went to the ER a fifth time, where an ultrasound revealed a tumorthat had completely obstructed her transverse colon, the longest part of her large intestine, and made it difficult for her to keep food down. The next morning, she had emergency surgery to remove it.
Reyes was first told she likely didn't have colon cancer because it's rarer in Hispanic populations.
Suzy Reyes
At first,Reyes said, the surgeon told her not to worry about the tumor. He told her she was very young, and that colon cancer wasn't as common in Hispanic populations and people under 60.
But a week later, she learned she had stage 3B colon cancer. "I was scared, but then relieved at the same time," Reyes said. "For three months, I was suffering, and I didn't know why."
Worried about worrying her family
The original plan was to hide her diagnosis and treatment from her family, especially her four kids, ranging in ages from 4 to 16 at the time. The doctor said she would likely only need two or three rounds of chemotherapy. Reyes and her husband wanted to leave their children with her mother and say they were going on a long couple's trip for about a month.
Once she met with her oncologist and learned that the cancer had grown through her muscular wall and into her lymph nodes, she learned she would need 12 rounds of chemotherapy — about six months of treatment. It would be impossible to keep a secret. "I just didn't want anybody to suffer, like my children and my parents," Reyes said.
Reyes experienced side effects from the chemo, such as nausea, fatigue, and weight gain. "I was literally swollen," she said. "It's like they pumped air into me."
All the while, she avoided looking up colon cancer or trying to research her prognosis online — something she said helped her maintain a "peace of mind" throughout treatment.
She now advocates for cancer awareness in Spanish-speaking communities
As of October 2026, Reyes has been cancer-free for over a decade. She says she continues to receive annual follow-ups, including colonoscopies, blood work, and CT scans.
Reyes now advocates for greater colon cancer awareness, particularly in Spanish-speaking communities.
Suzy Reyes
Some of her treatment side effects haven't gone away. "The neuropathy in my feet, arms, fingers — it just feels like needles poking them," she said.
After she was diagnosed, she urged her brother, who was 42 and a few years below the recommended screening age of 45, to get a colonoscopy. After some resistance, he agreed — and learned he had colon cancer as well. After surgery to remove his tumor, he's been cancer-free for 4 years, she said.
Looking back, Reyes said shehad wanted more guidance from other people who had colon cancer. She remembered posting about her experience on social media, but "nobody ever reached out to me and said, 'Hey, I'm an advocate for colon cancer. I'm here,'" she said. "I wish I would've had that."
Reyes is now involved with the Colorectal Cancer Alliance's Never Too Young Taskforce, as well as a few other groups. She also tries to focus on helping the Spanish-speaking community. "There are so many people that come out to us, me and my husband, and they're like, 'Thank y'all for doing this,'" she said.
Nove em cada dez brasileiras, cerca de 90% delas, não conhecem a ‘Lei dos 30 Dias’ que garante a realização de exames como a mamografia em até um mês após a suspeita de câncer de mama. Outras 92% desconhecem a ‘Lei dos 60 Dias’ que assegura o início do tratamento em até dois meses a partir do diagnóstico.
Os dados são do Índice de Conscientização sobre a Saúde das Mamas 2026, divulgado neste mês do Outubro Rosa, pelo Instituto Natura e pela Avon. O levantamento foi realizado com 2.094 mulheres de 18 anos ou mais e identificou problemas de conscientização relacionadas aos sintomas da doença, tratamento e acesso ao SUS (Sistema Único de Saúde).
A análise apontou que 44% das entrevistadas estão nos níveis baixo ou muito baixos de informação sobre a saúde das mamas. Além disso, 94% delas até reconhecem que o câncer de mama tem cura quando detectado precocemente, mas mais da metade diz não se sentir capacitada para ajudar alguém próximo que receba o diagnóstico.
A pesquisa demonstra que mulheres usuárias do sistema privado, de maior nível socioeconômico e mais velhas, têm índices mais altos de conscientização que as usuárias do SUS, mais jovens e de menor renda.
Segundo Mariana Lorencinho, gerente de Políticas Públicas pelo Cuidado com a Saúde das Mamas no Instituto Natura, a falta de informação pode contribuir para que mais mulheres descubram a doença em estágio avançado, quando há menos chance de cura e o tratamento é mais complexo.
Quando reunimos esses dados, tanto os públicos quanto o conhecimento das mulheres, conseguimos entender por que o câncer de mama é o tipo de câncer que mais mata mulheres no Brasil. Os direitos garantidos pelas políticas públicas, ou por lei só podem ser buscados se as mulheres os conhecerem
Mariana Lorencinho, gerente de Políticas Públicas pelo Cuidado com a Saúde das Mamas no Instituto Natura.
O índice aponta ainda que 76% não sabiam que é possível fazer mamografia no SUS em qualquer idade, quando há sintomas ou indicação médica. Entre as mulheres com mais de 40 anos que nunca fizeram o exame, a principal barreira é o médico nunca ter solicitado (23%), seguida por medo (13%) e ausência de sintomas (12%).
Além disso, uma em cada cinco mulheres que já fizeram mamografia não mantém a frequência recomendada. Entre as que vão ao ginecologista uma ou duas vezes por ano, 66% fazem o exame. Já entre as que nunca frequentam consultas de rotina, totalizam 21%.
Falta de informação influencia no diagnóstico tardio
Segundo o Panorama do Câncer de Mama, ferramenta de dados criada pelo Instituto Natura e pela Avon em parceria com o Observatório da Oncologia da Abrale e o Instituto Protea, 51% das mulheres atendidas no SUS (Sistema Único de Saúde) em 2025 estavam nos estágios 3 ou 4 da doença, em uma escala que vai de 0 a 4.
Olhando ainda para este tema, o índice da Natura identificou confusão das entrevistadas entre “redução de riscos” e “diagnóstico precoce”:
72% acreditam, erroneamente, que consultas e exames de rotina reduzem o risco de desenvolver a doença;
62% afirmam que o autoexame também reduz os riscos;
50% não sabem quais fatores ou hábitos aumentam o risco;
apenas 39% associam o consumo de álcool e a obesidade ao aumento do risco;
6 em cada 10 desconhecem as etapas do tratamento.
Segundo Jaqueline Marconi, coordenadora de Pesquisa e Monitoramento de dados do Instituto Natural, o objetivo das pesquisas são apoiar políticas públicas e campanhas de conscientização.
O Índice foi criado justamente para identificar quais são os gargalos de comunicação e adesão da população em relação ao cuidado com a saúde das mamas e orientar quais são as mensagens prioritárias ao longo de todo o ano.
Jaqueline Marconi, coordenadora de Pesquisa e Monitoramento de Dados do Instituto Natura.
Dúvidas e repostas sobre o câncer de mama
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Rick Devens, 42, vencedor do reality show “Big Brother” dos Estados Unidos, e sua esposa, Becca Devens, 40, contaram nas redes sociais neste domingo (25) que ela está com câncer.
“Fui diagnosticada com câncer de mama. Isso é uma droga, mas descobrimos bem no início porque eu faço minhas mamografias certinho. Vou fazer uma mastectomia dupla — mas, como pegamos bem no começo, achamos que é só isso que vamos precisar fazer, o que é ótimo”, disseram em um vídeo.
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Becca contou que vai fazer um exame de ressonância magnética nesta terça-feira (27) para descobrir com mais precisão onde o câncer está.
“Se vocês quiserem mandar energias e orações, seria incrível. As crianças estão bem, e vamos mantendo todos informados”, concluíram. O casal tem dois filhos: Jackson, de 12 anos, e Juliet, de 9 anos.
Rick saiu vencedor do “Big Brother” no dia 2 de outubro — quando recebeu o prêmio de US$ 810 mil (cerca de R$ 4,4 milhões).
Apoiando a esposa, o compositor Jon Batiste, 39, compartilhou uma foto com a amada, Suleika Jaouad, em suas redes sociais na tarde de domingo (25), declarando seu amor pela parceira.
Desde então, ela continua passando por vários tratamentos e transplantes em busca da cura da condição e de uma melhor condição de vida.
“As crianças estão bem hoje e continuam perdidamente apaixonadas”, escreveu Jon na legenda da declaração para a esposa. Nos comentários, diversos artistas e amigos da família elogiaram os registros e mandaram mensagens de apoio para a família.
“Meu coração está com vocês dois”, “Enviando muito amor, e estou feliz com essa notícia. Obrigada por nos manter atualizados”, “Enviando amor e boas vibrações para vocês”, “Nós amamos muito vocês dois. O mundo inteiro está torcendo por vocês”, escreveram alguns usuários.
No final de setembro deste ano, Suleika revelou que precisava se submeter a um terceiro transplante de medula óssea, já que os tratamentos que antes mantinham sua leucemia “sob controle” “não estavam mais surtindo efeito”.
Anteriormente, em suas primeiras cirurgias, a influenciadora já havia demonstrado confiança total nos médicos que cuidam de seu bem-estar e, em entrevista ao jornal britânico The Guardian, ela chegou a destacar a importância do apoio de sua família.
“Tenho Jon, minha família e amigos que aparecem sempre com jogos, flores e piadas inapropriadas. Tenho quatro cachorros, dois pavões e quatorze galinhas. Tenho um plano e muita esperança”, declarou.
“Quando o evento começou, anunciaram que ele estava ali para receber o prêmio e que faria um discurso. A primeira coisa que ele disse no discurso foi: ‘Esse jovem pianista, esse jovem músico… ele pode voltar e tocar comigo?’, porque ele iria apresentar uma música depois do discurso. Eu achei que ninguém estivesse me ouvindo. Foi uma grande lição para mim, para a minha vida e para o meu desenvolvimento”, disse ele, na época.
La presidenta encargada informó que el diálogo con la Asamblea Nacional de 2015 suma tres jornadas, defendió las estructuras para los beneficiarios de la amnistía y aseguró que la justicia apunta a no criminalizar la pobreza.
Brian Rooney and his late wife, Tina, who died in 2013.
Courtesy of Brian Rooney
Brian Rooney, 60, filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in 2024.
During his late wife's illness, he built up medical and credit-card debt.
After she died, the grief made it difficult for him to sustain his business.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Brian Rooney, the 60-year-old founder of Chapter7Reset.com, who lives in Conroe, Texas. He lost his wife in 2013. The essay has been edited for length and clarity, and the details verified.
When you're grieving, you're not thinking about how to move a business forward, capture new market share, or adapt to new technologies. You're not thinking straight because you're overwhelmed by a cloud of loss, pain, and sorrow. Some days, you're just trying to get through morning to night.
In 2013, I lost my wife, my partner, and my life. I still had to deal with the financial reality. I had underestimated what grief would do to my ability to run a business.
Tina was the yin to my yang
My wife, Tina, and I had 24 great years together. She was the yin to my yang. We met through a mutual friend, got to know each other, and fell in love. She was a strong, independent thinker. She was loving, kept me in check, and was an outstanding mother.
Our five kids were all born close together, and I was very involved in their lives. One of the reasons I started a business was because I wanted to be the dad who could be at home, coach my sons in basketball, and play in recitals with my daughter.
We'd tried both working early on, but Tina stopped early on in our relationship. I was the breadwinner, and she managed the kids.
I launched my email-marketing business in 2000. For a time, it did very, very well.
Brian Rooney and his late wife, Tina, were together for 24 years.
Courtesy of Brian Rooney
My wife was diagnosed with cancer
In 2011, things felt almost too good to be true. Then Tina noticed a little bump in the roof of her mouth. She went to the dentist; they did a biopsy, and we didn't think too much about it. Weeks later, I was sitting in my home office when she came over with the phone. With a very disturbed look, she said, "I have cancer."
Our lives turned upside down.
At first, because the cancer wasn't very aggressive, we tried homeopathic remedies. Then came chemotherapy, radiation, and major surgeries. The treatments were costly, and while the Affordable Care Act covered quite a bit, we still had high deductibles. Some hospitals wouldn't admit her until the deductible had been paid.
I would sit at the table with spreadsheets, trying to work out the finances. I was trying to be strong for my wife, but sometimes I'd go to the corner of the room and cry. The unspeakable thing to consider was that I might lose my wife because I couldn't afford to pay for it all.
Brian and Tina Rooney had five kids.
Courtesy of Brian Rooney
A lot of the medical bills were paid with credit cards, and we ran up a lot of credit-card debt. I had six mouths to feed, for which I relied mostly on credit cards. I sold my music gear, like my guitars and amps. We moved from a beautiful rental house in a nice area of Texas to a much less expensive apartment. We weren't going to shows, basketball games, or on trips. None of that bothered me. The focus was on getting Mama healthy.
Friends and family stepped in here and there to help out. My kids were approaching adulthood, so they didn't need much looking after, but working from home let me adjust my schedule as needed.
I couldn't keep the business moving forward
There were days when I couldn't touch the business. It was mostly automated, but there were things I needed to step in and manage. If a server went down, I'd need to stay up all night to fix it while checking on my wife in the other room.
I wasn't resting or sleeping. I wasn't able to drive the business forward.
During that time, the industry was changing. New technology became available, and we weren't able to keep up. I was so focused on Tina's care that we missed opportunities. We had contractors and a business partner, and I wish I'd outsourced a lot faster. I didn't realize how fast I was losing.
I became a widower at 47
Tina Rooney died at 49.
Courtesy of Brian Rooney
Tina died in November 2013. She was 49, and I was a 47-year-old widower.
Those first few weeks, I'd wake up, roll over, realize she wasn't there, and know that she never would be again. I would talk myself out of bed, one body part at a time.
The business was still there. My business partner was focused on the technical side, but I had the marketing and entrepreneurial mindset. A lot of things that needed to get done didn't get done. Honestly, at that point, I didn't care. It was a dark time for me
I wanted a clean slate
The business was declining, and meanwhile, I'd built up hundreds of thousands of dollars in credit-card and medical debt. I thought I could put everything on my credit cards, turn things around, and pay it down. Things never turned around, and as the business continued to decline, there was less money to draw from it.
In 2021, I got remarried. My second wife knew about the financial mess I was in. The interest and penalties were compounding so quickly. There was constant pressure from phone calls, letters, and demands for payment. I wanted relief and a clean slate.
In early 2024, after speaking with my business partner, we decided to dissolve the business. Later that year, I filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.
I felt both relief and shame after filing for bankruptcy
When I filed for bankruptcy, I had no assets because I'd sold them all to pay my bills. When the debt was wiped out, I felt relief and shame, but the relief took over once I stopped getting phone calls and letters.
It was time to rebuild. I got a sales job, which I hadn't had in decades. I did AI certification training and started rebuilding my credit with credit-rebuilding cards. I launched ChapterSevenReset.com, a free guide to help people in a similar position.
One of the hardest lessons was that we didn't have a life-insurance policy on Tina. It never dawned on me because she wasn't contributing financially. I never considered how caring for her and my grief would take away from my generating income. My second wife and I both have life insurance policies for each other.
Nowadays, my friends say the "old Brian" is back. I've made peace, as best you can, with the fact that Tina is gone. I'm like an amputee. There's a part of me that's missing, and that part will always be missing. It itches. It's always there.
Lynch syndrome, a hereditary condition that increases cancer risk, has no symptoms. Most people don't realize they have it until after a cancer diagnosis.
iStock; Tyler Le/BI
After Bryce Ramsey was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer at 33, she learned another piece of shocking news: She had a genetically high chance of developing it from the very beginning.
Ramsey tested positive for Lynch syndrome, a silent, inherited condition that heightened her lifetime risk of being diagnosed with colorectal cancer by up to 56% for her variant. It also put her at greater risk of developing ovarian, uterine, stomach, pancreatic, and other forms of cancer.
Before she learned she had Lynch, Ramsey urged her relatives to also get screened for colon cancer. Since then, her father, brother, and aunt have all been diagnosed with various stages of colon cancer. Like Ramsey, her aunt also tested positive for Lynch.
"I was the whistleblower," Ramsey, 40, based in Mississippi, told Business Insider. Ramsey now wants her two young sons to test for Lynch once they're in their early 20s, the recommended starting age for her specific Lynch mutation.
Bryce Ramsey only learned she had Lynch syndrome after being diagnosed with colon cancer.
Bryce Ramsey
Like most genetic testing, Lynch syndrome testing is relatively quick, cheap, and non-invasive. It involves a saliva test, a cheek swab, or a blood test, with the latter having the least room for error.
Still, it hasn't caught on: About 1 in 279 Americans (1.2 million people) are estimated to have Lynch syndrome, including between 3 to 5% colon cancer patients. Yet an estimated 95% of Americans with Lynch syndrome have no idea they have it.
All the while, cases of colon, breast, uterine, and pancreatic cancers are rising in young people, with colon cancer the deadliest cancer for adults under 50. "If you don't know, then you can't get help," Ramsey said, including earlier screenings or preventive measures such as hysterectomies.
"Ignorance is not always bliss."
The 'lowest hanging fruit' for cutting down cancer risk
Some experts view broader Lynch syndrome testing as a way to get more people screened for cancer before symptoms arise — and a way to potentially help entire families better understand their cancer risks.
Like Ramsey, the majority of people diagnosed with Lynch syndrome only get screened after they have cancer. In the US, the CDC's general guidelines recommend that colon and uterine cancer patients have tumors biopsied for Lynch, followed by Lynch syndrome screening for the patient if there are abnormal findings.
Some experts believe the lack of early genetic testing is a huge missed opportunity for reducing cancer risk. One 2021 study found that about 16.4% of 713 early-onset colorectal cancer cases could have been prevented if patients knew either their family history or had been genetically screened, and would have subsequently started getting colonoscopies sooner.
Lynch syndrome testing "has got so much potential, but it's not being utilized," Heather Hampel, a professor at City of Hope in California who specializes in clinical cancer genomics and Lynch syndrome, and a co-author of the study, told Business Insider.
While Lynch syndrome remains unknown to most Americans, some health systems are trying to expand testing to the broader population. Helix, a genetic screening company that first started out as a consumer DNA marketplace, started partnering with 17 health systems in 2021 as part of its "Population Genomics Initiative." The goal has been to introduce broader population-scale genomic programs that include testing for Lynch syndrome.
Helix offers broad, population-based Lynch syndrome testing through participating health systems.
Helix
Dr. Cassie Hajek, the medical director of Helix, told Business Insider that most patients diagnosed with one of these hereditary conditions by Helix were completely taken aback by the news. "They're kind of operating on the assumption that their risk is just as it is in the general population, but in fact, it's significantly elevated," she said. "The whole goal is to identify these patients hiding in plain sight."
By knowing their genetic predispositions for cancer, they can both more easily start earlier cancer screenings and also inform their family members of their potential genetic risks.
Hampel noted that lowering overall cancer rates is complicated. We still don't know why colon cancer cases are rising so rapidly among young people, and lifestyle factors like sedentary routines and diets high in ultra-processed foods are far more difficult to control for.
"If the lowest-hanging fruit is family history and gene testing, and we can't even prevent those," Hampel said, "how are we ever going to prevent things where we need people to make lifestyle or behavioral changes?"
The ripple effects for families
Michelle York was 33 when she first heard of Lynch syndrome.
Up until that point, all she'd known was that her mom's side of the family had a long cancer history. Her great-grandmother died from colon cancer. Her grandfather had stomach and brain cancer. Her great-aunts died from liver, ovarian, and breast cancer, respectively. Her mother's cousin died from pancreatic cancer.
York (second from left) with her mother, sister, and brother — all of whom tested positive for Lynch syndrome.
Michelle York
York's mother, a nurse at the time, had come across the term through her work. She tested positive for Lynch, along with York, her two siblings, aunt, uncle, and cousin.
At first, the news caused some anxiety. "Does this mean I'm going to get cancer at a young age?" York, 43 and based in Los Angeles, told Business Insider. "Does this mean every time I don't feel well, I'm going to immediately think I have cancer?"
However, once York and her family started getting routine cancer screenings, including annual colonoscopies, they felt more reassured than afraid, because they knew they could catch cancer early. York's mother had multiple precancerous polyps removed.
"None of us have had cancer yet, but we've had lots of scares," York said. She also wants her kids, ages 17 and 14, to test once they're older.
York's mother triggered something called "cascade testing," in which other family members test for Lynch and can take preventive measures to reduce their cancer risk.
Dr. Sapna Syngal, the director of research at the division of cancer genetics and prevention at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston and the founder of its Lynch Syndrome Center, sees cascade testing for Lynch as a "real opportunity" to lower cancer risk, she told Business Insider.
Particularly for young people, if they test positive for Lynch in their 20s and start getting cancer screenings, "there's a really, really good chance that you could prevent that cancer by taking out polyps earlier on," she said.
There are also financial benefits to knowing you have a genetic predisposition to cancer. While insurance coverage for Lynch-related cancer screenings can vary, Hajek said her patients typically have a more "straightforward" experience in getting otherwise expensive screenings like colonoscopies covered. York, for example, said her insurance covered her cancer screenings once she got her Lynch syndrome diagnosis.
York, pictured with her family, wants her kids to test for Lynch syndrome when they're old enough.
Michelle York
Ultimately, Hajek said Lynch syndrome testing can help patients get more precise care than simply knowing they have a family history of cancer. Just as testing positive for Lynch can prompt someone to start cancer screenings sooner, testing negative can also relieve a person of anxiety about being at high risk of early-onset cancer and potentially call for less frequent cancer screenings than if they had Lynch.
York said she's ultimately grateful for finding out and knowing she can catch any early signs of cancer by starting annual screenings such as colonoscopies in her 30s — over a decade before the average-risk recommended screening age of 45. Both Ramsey and York also had hysterectomies and oophorectomies unrelated to cancer, which brought extra relief in also reducing their uterine and ovarian cancer risks to essentially zero.
"I think knowledge is power," York said. "Now, it almost feels comforting because I know that I started doing this young."
Lynch needs its Angelina Jolie
Angelina Jolie appearing on the red carpet a month after her May 2013 op-ed revealing her BRCA1 diagnosis and decision to undergo a preventive double-mastectomy.
LEON NEAL/AFP via Getty Images
In 2013, Angelina Jolie revealed in a New York Times op-ed that she had tested positive for BRCA1, a gene that increases the risks of breast and ovarian cancer.
Her revelation — and subsequent operations to remove her breasts and ovaries — sparked an international drive to get tested for BRCA1/BRCA2. Years later, a study found that 15 business days after Jolie's op-ed went live, BRCA testing rose 64% in the US.
Over a decade later, researchers and patients are working to make Lynch syndrome screening similarly universal.
Getting every person screened comes with its own obstacles.
Lynch could be added to the list of genetic conditions screened for in newborn heel tests. However, critics of the idea believe it can create years of stress when the person with Lynch isn't recommended to start getting colonoscopies until they're in their early 20s.
Other routes, such as including Lynch syndrome testing when people join the military or go to college, would miss broad swaths of the population.
There's also the question of funding. Helix, for example, doesn't bill patients and instead relies on the participating health systems for financial support. Few hospital systems can afford to prioritize testing for a gene condition that impacts a small portion of the population.
Ramsey's advocacy work includes raising more awareness around colon cancer as well as Lynch syndrome.
Bryce Ramsey
Syngal said one immediate option for getting more people screened for Lynch is to follow York's route: consider getting tested if you have a family history of colon or other relevant cancers.
Since their diagnoses, Ramsey and York have tried to spread the word about Lynch syndrome testing. Ramsey is an official advocate for the non-profit Lynch Syndrome Awareness, while York, a full-time content creator, has shared her story on social media.
"It's scary when you first find out that you have a genetic mutation that predisposes you to cancer," York said. "But at the end of the day, knowing that and taking those precautions could ultimately save your life."
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