Patients With CRC: Advocate to Have Your Tumor Tested

June 8, 2018
Sarah DeBord
Sarah DeBord

Sarah DeBord was diagnosed with metastatic colon cancer at age 34. In the years since, she has turned her diagnosis into a calling, and become an advocate for other young adults diagnosed with colorectal cancer and parents with young families facing cancer. She works as a communications and program manager for the Minneapolis-based Colon Cancer Coalition , volunteers her time with the online patient-led support community COLONTOWN , and blogs about her often adventurous experiences of living with chronic cancer at ColonCancerChick.com.

By getting their tumor genetically tested, a patient may find out that they are eligible for certain treatment options.

At this year's American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, we spoke with Sarah DeBord, the communications and project manager at the Colon Cancer Coalition.

Treatment for colorectal cancer is becoming more personalized, so it is important that patients talk to their health care providers about having their tumor tested for genetic modifications such as microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) status, which will likely be a deciding factor in the treatment that the patient gets.

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