There was no history of cancer in Steve Hester’s family.
“My doctor kept telling me at the age 50, ‘Steve, go get a colonoscopy. Go get a colonoscopy,’” Hester, now 67, said. “Well, because there was [no cancer] in my family, I just refused to do it.”
“The sad part of that is, [it’s also] because I didn’t want to get an IV,” he added. “I hate shots.”
Hester waited until he was 59. Doctors found a tumor, which had just one cancerous node. Surgery was followed by about a year of intense chemotherapy and radiation.
Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer, excluding skin cancers, diagnosed in both men and women in the U.S., according to the American Cancer Society.
Though the yearly rate of cases and deaths have declined for several years, partly due to more screening and early detection, colorectal cancer remains the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in men and women. Nearly 53,000 people are expected to succumb to the disease this year.
The ACS recently lowered the recommended age for people at average risk for colorectal cancer to begin having regular colonoscopies to 45 from 50.
Hester spoke about his cancer journey Saturday during the Montgomery County Relay for Life Kickoff at Pike Place. The annual event, which is set for July 17 at the National Guard Armory, raises funds for ACS.
For more information on joining or donating to the event, visit acsevents.org and click “Find an Activity Near You.”
The cancer eventually spread to Hester’s liver. His health forced him to retire the clown character, ‘Ol Hess, that he’d performed for more than 30 years. Hester was also a veteran stage actor.
Folowing another surgery in February, his doctor told him he was cancer-free.
“I don’t know if that means it won’t ever come back again, but [the doctor] made it clear that [I] can get it just as quickly as [they] can now,” Hester said.
When Hester hears about people dying from cancer, he admits to a slight feeling of guilt.
“But then on the other hand, I firmly believe that it’s been a lot of prayer that’s kept me here today so if not for God, I would probably have joined them.”
