Maria Kang Reveals Stage 4 Colon Cancer at 46, Urging Screening After Years of Symptoms
Updated
Updated · New York Post · Jul 25
Maria Kang Reveals Stage 4 Colon Cancer at 46, Urging Screening After Years of Symptoms
2 articles · Updated · New York Post · Jul 25
Summary
Maria Kang, 46, said a stage 4 colon cancer diagnosis in November 2023 upended her belief that fitness and clean eating guaranteed health, and she is now urging people not to ignore persistent digestive symptoms.
Years of chronic constipation and bloating had been normalized since adolescence, she said, until a colonoscopy and biopsy found a tumor; after 12 weeks of holistic treatment failed, she started FOLFOX chemotherapy in 2024.
Scans after an emergency-room visit showed the tumor had shrunk, leading to extensive surgery that removed about a foot of her colon, multiple reproductive organs and her appendix, followed by temporary colostomy and ileostomy procedures.
Current MRI scans show no suspicious mass, though Kang said she has not been formally declared to have no evidence of disease and continues blood tests and imaging every six months.
The American Cancer Society estimates 158,850 U.S. colorectal cancer cases and 55,230 deaths in 2026; incidence among adults under 50 rose 2.9% annually from 2013 to 2022, reinforcing screening from age 45 and evaluation of ongoing bowel changes.