TEXAS — Candace Tucker was diagnosed with Stage II rectal cancer in late 2025 after experiencing several months of unexplained bowel changes and rectal bleeding. The 41-year-old Texas woman initially attributed her symptoms to a recent increase in dietary fiber.

In September 2025, Tucker noticed strange bowel movements and a small amount of blood in her stool. She dismissed the signs at first, but after ongoing discomfort, she underwent a colonoscopy, which led to a suspected cancer diagnosis. Pathology results confirmed Stage II rectal cancer one week later.

"I was terrified. I couldn't believe it," she said. "Your mind goes to the worst possible scenario. I was crying. I immediately called my mother-in-law. My husband was there, my grandson was there. And I tried to be strong, because I didn't want my loved ones to be scared. But it's a hard thing to be strong during."

Tucker began treatment with Dr. Bradley Scott Colton, a gastrointestinal oncologist at Texas Oncology. He sampled her tumor for DNA analysis, which indicated she would need chemotherapy and surgery, and possibly radiation. At the time of an interview, she was about one-third of the way through chemotherapy, receiving infusions every two weeks.

"It'll depend how she does, how well she tolerates (the chemotherapy), how well her labs do. We are definitely trying to be as aggressive as we can be," Colton said. He described Tucker as a "dream patient" who responded well to treatment and noted that younger patients often dismiss early symptoms of colorectal cancer. Colton advised that any persistent, unexplained bowel changes should be evaluated by a gastroenterologist.

After her diagnosis, Tucker learned from her aunt that multiple relatives had previously had colorectal cancer—adding to a family history that also includes breast, prostate, and pancreatic cancer. "Maybe I would have been more cautious of any of the symptoms I had if I knew," she said.

She has since spoken openly about her experience to reduce stigma. "It's almost like it's the 'dirty' cancer. And I don't think anybody should be ashamed of having cancer." Tucker also emphasized maintaining normalcy during treatment: "I feel like it's important to have normalcy. I told my husband: I don't care if I don't feel good, I don't care if I'm tired. I'm going to make it to everything."

"I'm excited to get all this done and to have this in the past," she said. "I know I will never fully have it in the back of my mind, but I'm excited to get to that point."