VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — A 22-year-old fought hard against his colorectal cancer and spoke with News 3 about his second chance at life.
“I wasn't expecting to get that call,” Peter Votaw said. “I started thinking about how I have to call my mom, [and] I have to call my dad now and let them know.”
Votaw has been living with Crohn's disease since he was eight years old. Crohn's causes inflammation in the digestive tract, so he was used to stomach pain and extra bathroom trips.
After moving to Alaska in his late teens, he didn’t have access to a gastroenterologist.
Watch related coverage: Beach students lace up for Shamrock Marathon to benefit Operation Smile
When life brought him back to Virginia Beach, he experienced more pain, but he chalked it up to inflammation. Still, he decided to make a doctor's appointment.
“They did the colonoscopy, and they found the mass and waited about 10 days to find out that it was cancer,” Peter recalled. “I definitely had to just take some time to process it. I didn't know where to attack. Like, I didn't know what to do.”
He leaned on his specialist, Dr. William Rudolph, a colon and rectal surgeon with Sentara Health.
I sat down with Dr. Rudolph to discuss colorectal cancer. He told me, “It's the third leading cause of cancer in the United States in both men and women, and the second leading cause of cancer death in men and women. What's really problematic is that it's the leading cause of death in cancer among men under the age of 50.”
Watch related coverage: Local artist brings colorful creations to young patients at CHKD
Dr. Rudolph says colorectal cancer is becoming more aggressive and advanced by the time it’s diagnosed.
“Predominantly, rectal cancer has really exploded, and it's seen more often in younger people, so under the age of 50,” he said. “The problem in colorectal cancer is usually, by the time you get symptoms, it's at an advanced stage.”
Symptoms to watch for include abdominal pain, rectal bleeding, diarrhea, and weight loss.
If you have a family history or Crohn's, like Peter, your chances go up. But Dr. Rudolph also says that 70% to 80% of people without a family history still get it.
Watch related coverage: Hot pink beach house offers life-changing support for special needs families
“Colorectal cancer is what we call sporadic. It just comes out of nowhere,” Dr. Rudolph explained.
So, what's the number one thing Dr. Rudolph suggests? Change what you eat. Less red meat and processed foods, more fiber, fruits, veggies, and whole grains — real food. And don’t forget to get screened.
“If you don't like doing a colonoscopy, completely understandable,” Dr. Rudolph said. “The blood tests and fecal tests that are out there now are very easy to get, and they’re very available.”
He’s referring to the FIT (Fecal Immunochemical Test) and Cologuard test, both of which you can do at home.
Watch related coverage: He built a bike for America's tallest man, sparking years-long friendship
He said a FIT test is about 72% to 75% accurate in detecting colorectal cancer. Cologuard, according to Dr. Rudolph, is somewhere around 92% to 94% accurate. Everyone should start getting screened at 45, even if you don’t have a family history.
“If we can just get the message out that people like Peter could be a more frequent thing if people were just to get diagnosed at an earlier stage,” he said.
Votaw ultimately had his colon removed, allowing him to avoid chemotherapy and other treatments. Peter also doesn’t need a colostomy bag, which was incredibly important to him.
Watch related coverage: Virginia Beach run club is all about high fives and good vibes
Just three weeks after the major surgery, he completed Sentara's "Don't Sit on Colon Cancer" 5K. Since then, he’s found his voice advocating for early testing.
“A colonoscopy is a lot better than a colectomy,” Votaw said. “It's worth me getting the cancer if this is able to prevent someone else from having to go through chemo and all the other stuff.”
Diagnosed at stage two, and now 22-years-old, Votaw feels like he got a second chance at life. By the way, he’s about to become a dad in July, too, so he’s working on making lifestyle changes for the future.
This year’s “Don’t Sit on Colon Cancer” 5K happened on Saturday morning at Sentara Princess Anne Hospital. It ran from 9 a.m. to noon.
