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Taylor Dayne is opening up about her recent cancer diagnosis and the importance of early detection.
The “Tell It to My Heart” singer recently spoke to Good Morning America and revealed that over the summer she was diagnosed with colon cancer.
The Grammy-nominated musician, 60, was diagnosed in July after a routine colonoscopy. For Dayne, the world went “dark” after learning the news but luckily, her cancer was detected very early.
“Life is precious,” she told the outlet. “He never even said the stage [of cancer]. All I could do is [think], ‘OK, five months ago, I know there was nothing.’ So this is early detection.”
Just weeks after her diagnosis, Dayne underwent surgery to remove 10 inches of her colon and was immediately declared cancer free. However, a post-op infection kept her in the hospital for about 20 days.
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Dayne recalled that after being released from the hospital, she focused on not only a physical recovery but an emotional recovery, reflecting on the “trauma” she experienced as a child suffering from kidney infections.
“For me, being back, I felt like I was four years old again back in the hospital, basically locked inside my own body without a voice,” she admitted. “So, this has challenged me mentally, emotionally. I am now back in a therapy program.”
Since recovering, the ’80s pop star said she’s feeling stronger than ever and is urging others to speak with doctors about regular screenings.
“When you’re really sick, you don’t have the energy, you’re really relying on your champions around you, your soldiers, your people,” Dayne told GMA. “Find the doctor that will tell you the truth. Be a warrior for yourself.”
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Colon, or colorectal, cancer is the third most common cancer in the world, after lung and breast cancers. About 106,180 Americans will receive a new diagnosis of the disease in 2022, according to the American Cancer Society.
Around 20% of patients have a family history of the cancer, and doctors urge everyone to check into their backgrounds to see if they are at a higher risk. But diet, and its contributions to obesity, may be a cause. While it is common among men and women in the United States, experts emphasize that death can be prevented with early detection.
The American Cancer Society recommends that adults 45 and up get regular colon cancer screenings, either stool analyses or colonoscopies. And they urge people with symptoms of colon cancer — such as a change in bowel movements, like increased diarrhea; rectal bleeding; dark stools; unexpected weight loss; cramping and excess fatigue — to get checked out by a doctor.
However, they emphasize the need for preemptive screenings, as these symptoms typically only appear after colon cancer has already spread.
