Her Bloating Turned Out to Be Colon Cancer at 37. Then She Learned She Had a BRCA2 Mutation

After a stage 1 colon cancer diagnosis at 37, Marisa Stachelski (pictured above) learned she had a BRCA2 mutation that increased her risk of several other cancers. Photo: Marisa Stachelski Marisa Stachelski was diagnosed with stage 1 colon cancer at age 37 after experiencing persistent bloating, pain, and blood in her stool. Genetic testing later revealed a BRCA2 mutation, which can significantly increase the risk of several cancers, including breast and ovarian cancer. Stachelski chose risk-reducing surgery, including a double mastectomy and fallopian tube removal, and now undergoes regular cancer screenings. Marisa Stachelski was 37 years old in the summer of 2022 when she began experiencing GI issues. “I had bloating that progressively got worse,” she told Healthline. “Almost like a five-months-pregnant kind of look.” She initially chalked it up to her diet and worked with a dietitian to see whether eliminating foods containing gluten and dairy would help. However, the bloating didn’t go away, and she began to feel pain. “On a few occasions, I was actually keeled over on my couch. I couldn’t really move. And I’d never experienced anything like that. Nothing would help,” Stachel…

≈