Fit and healthy man, 47, diagnosed with rectal cancer after showing just one symptom

A fit and healthy man has opened up about shockingly being diagnosed with rectal cancer after spotting one symptom, as he admitted he was hit with a 'wave of emotions' when starting treatment.

While there are many health and lifestyle factors which can have an impact on a person's chances of getting cancer, it is possible to do everything right and still be diagnosed with it.

That's the unfortunate situation Ohio man Marcus Wendling found himself in, as he ate healthily, exercised regularly and had enjoyed a healthy life because of it.

However, when one symptom of cancer presented itself he made sure he got checked out and doctors did find a tumour.

He ended up needing chemotherapy (Getty Stock Photo)

According to the New York Post, he'd just completed a triathlon a few months earlier when he was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 47 after finding blood in his stool at the beginning of 2023.

He didn't have any other symptoms and when he went to see a doctor he was told that everything else about him was fine, but when he mentioned his symptom he went in for a colonoscopy, and it's a good thing he did.

They found a benign polyp in his colon and a large polyp in his lower rectum that turned out to be rectal cancer, and he was put in for a lower anterior resection, a procedure which involves cutting out part of the rectum and reattaching the rest to the colon.

When he went in for surgery, three of the 12 lymph nodes that were removed tested positive for cancer and Marcus was declared to be at stage three, meaning he'd need to go in for chemotherapy.

He also needed a temporary ileostomy bag.

"I don’t think anyone can be fully prepared for the wave of emotions they experience when starting chemotherapy, but the nurses at the Martha Morehouse infusion clinic are the best," he said of going in for the treatment.

He had previously been fit and healthy (Ohio State University)

"I heard horror stories of symptoms associated with chemotherapy, but I was so fortunate to experience pretty minimal side effects over the next 12 weeks. I had some fatigue and neuropathy, with numbness and tingling in my hands and feet.

"Still, I was determined to exercise almost every day and walk as much as possible. The only viable option was to just power through the treatment."

He will have to continue going in for scans and will need an annual colonoscopy to see whether the cancer has returned, but Marcus is aiming to get back into his fitness regime with a half Ironman.

He said he was 'so fortunate to be living in normalcy again'.

If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact Macmillan’s Cancer Support Line on 0808 808 00 00, 8am–8pm seven days a week.