BEXLEY, Ohio (WCMH) – The month of March marks Colon Cancer Awareness Month.

Colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States, with more 52,000 expected this year alone, according to the American Cancer Society.

But early detection and screening could be the difference between life and death. Bexley resident Steve Werman is a testament to that.

Werman’s colon cancer journey started in the summer of 2023, with a simple question from his friend and gastroenterologist Dr. Brett Sklaw, upon hearing about some health issues he had been having.

“Why don’t we just kind of look into it? Eventually, he took me up on it and we were obviously very thankful that he did at that time,” said Sklaw.

“I went and got checked out and thankfully I did because we found Stage 1 colon cancer,” said Werman.

Sklaw is a gastroenterologist for Ohio Gastroenterology Group. He performed the routine surgery on his friend of 20-plus years.

“I saw the mass on the way in, and it was pretty soon into the procedure that I saw it. So, to have to finish the procedure, I had to take a deep breath and kind of pause for a second,” said Sklaw.

“I have three young kids. It was very emotional,” said Werman. “I was filled with uncertainty and fear. And then Brett and my wife, we quickly turned into, ‘what do we need to do?’”

A CT scan showed no spread of the disease elsewhere in Werman’s body, so he was able to have surgery six weeks later. He’s now cancer-free and this November, he ran the New York City Marathon alongside his friends and neighbors in Bexley, helping raise more than $65,000 for the Colorectal Cancer Alliance.

It was a happy outcome for Werman, but it easily could not have been if he didn’t take his friend’s advice.

“There were some symptoms I was experiencing but I didn’t even know it was a symptom,” said Werman. “So, it was a fluke that I caught it because I didn’t know that the symptoms that I had were related to colon cancer.”

“Unfortunately, colon cancer can often times be asymptomatic which means someone’s not feeling any symptoms and then when it gets large enough, people may start to feel something.” said Dr. David Lo, a gastroenterologist for Ohio Gastroenterology Group. “So, it often times is picked up a lot later because people may blow off their symptoms.”

According to the American Cancer Society, the current suggested age to get your colonoscopy right now is 45 years old. But Werman was just 40 years old and living an active lifestyle when he was diagnosed, so it can happen to anyone at any time.

You should contact your primary care doctor if you notice any of the following symptoms: change in bowel habits, blood in your stool, abdominal pain, unintentional weight loss, fatigue or shortness of breath.