Mark Sanchez, 48, is battling Stage 4 colorectal cancer.

The San Benito man underwent four surgeries since his cancer diagnosis in 2020.

“The cancer word is a death sentence, that's what everybody assumes,” Sanchez said.

Sanchez requested a colon cancer screening from his doctors at the Valley Baptist Medical center in Harlingen after he said he noticed several bleeding issues.

His first colonoscopy revealed he had a tumor in his colon.

“I had a mass that I had been living with for several years because of the size of it,” Sanchez said.

Sanchez said if it wasn't for the screening, he wouldn't have known about it because he wasn't experiencing symptoms.

Doctors removed the tumor, and Sanchez went into remission and did chemotherapy to prevent it from coming back.

But earlier this month, Sanchez went to get a cyst removed, but it turned out to be another cancerous tumor.

“It's very straining. It's hard as a father as a husband, you're the provider for your family,” Sanchez said.

Sanchez's surgeon at Valley Baptist, Dr. Vijan Dhevan, said if they screen and detect the cancer early, “Surgery can be very minimal... We take care of the disease process, and they can go on with their live sometimes without having any major scars."

While there is no single known cause, Dr. Dhevan said some people are at higher risk due to genetic predisposition, such as Sanchez who has a family history of cancer

Sanchez urges everyone to get checked regularly.

“It's never too late. If you could get to it early enough, your chances are just way better,” Sanchez said.

The American Cancer Society recommends that people at average risk of colorectal cancer start getting regular screening at age 45.

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