Dan Kent's Story
Dan Kent
Like most men I only ever visited the doctor if I was half dead from the flu or needed stitches, but I made a resolution to myself on my 40th birthday to see the doctor for a check up once a year. I am glad that I stuck to it because I was diagnosed with stage III rectal cancer in 2005.
That annual commitment to a medical check up paid off because I had great health all the way up until I was 60 and it meant that my cancer was diagnosed before it was too late.
Gastro-Intestinal cancers are insidious; there are often no symptoms, lumps or pain until the cancer is quite developed. The only reason my cancer was picked up was because my doctor had given me a faecal occult blood test during my annual check up.
I live in Bundaberg Queensland and following a career in management I decided it was time to give back to the community. Sadly we lost one of our daughters to metastases from breast cancer in 2002 and this spurred me to volunteer with cancer support organisations. I initially became a Volunteer Community Speaker with the Queensland Cancer Council, joined the Cancer Voices Queensland Advisory Committee and my local regional Health Community Council.
Experiencing cancer in a regional area can provide an added hardship. When medical care is only available far from home the travelling and accommodation during treatment can be quite expensive. For many people in rural and remote areas the lack of proximity to medical care can impact how quickly they are diagnosed or treated, and some even decline treatment because of the added travel expenses.
My advice is that no matter who you are or where you reside, to live with cancer you have be positive and think—“I will beat this”.
Gastro-Intestinal cancers are insidious; there are often no symptoms, lumps or pain until the cancer is quite developed. The only reason my cancer was picked up was because my doctor had given me a faecal occult blood test during my annual check up.
I live in Bundaberg Queensland and following a career in management I decided it was time to give back to the community. Sadly we lost one of our daughters to metastases from breast cancer in 2002 and this spurred me to volunteer with cancer support organisations. I initially became a Volunteer Community Speaker with the Queensland Cancer Council, joined the Cancer Voices Queensland Advisory Committee and my local regional Health Community Council.
Experiencing cancer in a regional area can provide an added hardship. When medical care is only available far from home the travelling and accommodation during treatment can be quite expensive. For many people in rural and remote areas the lack of proximity to medical care can impact how quickly they are diagnosed or treated, and some even decline treatment because of the added travel expenses.
My advice is that no matter who you are or where you reside, to live with cancer you have be positive and think—“I will beat this”.