Moorhead woman grateful for timely colonoscopy, expert care from Essentia Health

March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month

In March 2024, Beni Hauck knew it was time to request a colonoscopy.

"I had been experiencing some weird colored mucus in my stool for a while," admitted the 44-year-old Moorhead woman.

Hauck's primary care provider, Jamie Zink of the Essentia Health-52nd Avenue Clinic, put in for a colonoscopy with Dr. Kimberly Kolkhorst, a gastroenterologist at Essentia Health-Fargo.

During a colonoscopy, a fiber-optic scope with a camera is inserted into the colon to look for abnormal growths, called polyps, some of which can be removed at the same time.

Following her procedure, Hauck recalls Dr. Kolkhorst voicing what she suspected. Testing confirmed that Hauck had stage 3 colorectal cancer, a disease in which cells in the colon or rectum grow out of control. In stage 3, cancer cells have spread into nearby lymph nodes but haven’t reached other areas of the body. Because of the mass’ location, Hauck had two treatment options — start with chemotherapy and radiation or go right to surgery.

"My thought was, 'Get it out of me,' so we did surgery first," said Hauck.

In April, Dr. Dustin Nowotny, a general surgeon at Essentia, performed a robotic-assisted low anterior resection, which involved removing a portion of Hauck’s colon and rectum along with the mass.

"For Beni, by proceeding with surgery first, we were able to avoid an ostomy and maintain her normal bowel patterns," explained Dr. Nowotny.

Following surgery, Hauck jumped into daily radiation treatments, held Monday through Friday for six weeks at the Essentia Health-Cancer Center in Fargo. She then transitioned to three-week cycles of a combination of infusion and oral chemotherapy.

Hauck's last session – and her bell-ringing moment – came Friday, Nov. 1.

Reflecting on her care, Hauck was impressed with the speed of treatment at Essentia.

"Holy cow, we got in and got it taken care of," she said. "Everyone was awesome and good to work with."

She also appreciated that her providers spoke in basic terms. "I always knew what to expect and this helped," she said.

Now cancer-free, Hauck's advice to others is simple – act immediately.

"I waited for six months until I requested my colonoscopy," she admits. "If you think something is off, take care of it before it gets out of control. Advocate for yourself; nobody knows your body better than you."

About colorectal cancer

Colorectal, or colon, cancer is one of the most common cancers in the United States. The American Cancer Society estimates over 154,000 new cases of colon and rectal cancer will be reported in the U.S. in 2025.

Patients should consider seeing their primary care provider if they experience symptoms like unexplained weight loss; persistent abdominal pain, aches or cramps; or changes in bowel habits, including bloody stools, diarrhea or constipation.

You may be referred to a gastroenterologist for more specialized care and diagnostic testing.

Risk factors include a personal history of colon polyps, family history of colon cancer or colon polyps, inflammatory bowel disease (e.g., Crohn’s or ulcerative colitis), diets high in red and processed meats, alcohol, tobacco and obesity. Your risk increases with age; however, younger people are also being impacted by this disease.

The power of screenings

Early detection is crucial when it comes to cancer.

Regular screenings, beginning at age 45, can prevent colorectal cancer or detect it at its most treatable stage, even before you notice symptoms. Minus the presence of polyps, and if there is no family history of colon cancer, colonoscopies can occur every 10 years. Learn more about other testing options online and schedule an appointment with your primary care provider at EssentiaHealth.org to discuss options.