Laura’s Story

Laura Torres had been healthy all her life. “I was fit as a horse. I never got sick,” says the 46-year-old former radio executive of Broad Run, Virginia. So when in 2007, during a routine gynecological visit, her doctor inquired about blood found in her stool, Torres told her she had chalked it up to harmless hemorrhoids. She was wrong. A colonoscopy revealed a significant mass in her colon. She had stage 4 cancer and it was spreading to her liver. Torres was in disbelief. Her first visit to an oncologist gave her little hope.

“The doctor told me to max out my credit cards and go fishing, giving me a year to live, two tops,” she recalls. She refused to believe the grim prognosis and sought a second opinion. “A new doctor told me 1 in 5,000 [in colon cancer cases] can go into remission, and that was all the hope I needed. We would try to slow the progression.”

And that she did—at whatever the cost. She’s endured extensive chemotherapy, radiation treatments, and battles with her insurance company—all to prolong her life using any medical treatment possible. “Each day is a blessing. There’s always the chance it will go into remission,” says Torres.

Signs of Colorectal Cancer: Rectal bleeding or blood in stool A change in stool shape or bowel habits Stomach cramps and discomfort Unexplained weight loss and fatigue Feeling that the bowel doesn't empty completely Sources: About.com; MayoClinic.com For more information on colorectal cancer, visit: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention American Cancer Society

Through it all, she shows no signs of slowing down. “Meeting Carmen Marc Valvo is another reason for hope. He’s been able to give back through his celebrity. Through my support groups and my church, I want to give back, too. My first words to friends who ask how they can help are: ‘Get tested for colon cancer.’ It’s a secret killer.”