At the height of her soccer career, Abby Wambach felt invincible.
A FIFA world champion, two-time winner of the Olympic gold with the US women’s national team, and a record-setting goal scorer, she was at the top of her game and racking up awards.
“I was fit. I was capable. I was one of the best in the world, and I had medals to prove it,” Wambach told Business Insider.
But when Wambach was 35, her mother was diagnosed with colon cancer. Considered at risk because of her family history, Wambach underwent a colonoscopy. The procedure found she had polyps, abnormal growths in the colon that can become cancerous.
At the time, the recommended age for colon cancer screening was 50. While not all polyps become tumors, 15 years could have been more than enough time for Wambach to develop cancer, potentially at a stage too late for treatment.
“If I didn’t get that screening and waited, that absolutely could have killed me,” she said.
Now, as colon cancer has become the No. 1 cause of cancer-related deaths in Americans under 50, Wambach is urging others to get screened.
She and her fellow Olympian, soccer champ, and podcast co-host Julie Foudy are raising awareness by partnering with Cologuard, a non-invasive, at-home stool test for adults 45 and older at average risk.
“It’s one of the most preventable forms of cancer if you get screened,” Foudy said. “Even if you feel fine, you have to get screened. It doesn’t take that long.”
Colon cancer cases are rising in young people
Wambach said colon cancer can affect anyone. As a pro soccer star, she was used to being in tune with her body to perform at an elite level. She never expected to have an abnormal colonoscopy, and she almost couldn’t believe the results.
“When the doctor came and told me when I’m coming back from anesthesia, I was like, ‘This can’t be true,'” Wambach said. “It doesn’t matter who you are; this can happen to anyone.”
Early detection of colon cancer is key because the disease is highly treatable in the initial stages.
Symptoms of colon cancer often occur only in later stages, when the disease has spread elsewhere in the body, and the odds of survival are significantly lower.
“If you are feeling symptoms from colorectal cancer, it is too late,” Wambach said.
That means it’s crucial to understand potential risk factors, such as family history. Wambach said her mom’s diagnosis was a turning point for the whole family to get screened.
“I just remember vividly the process that she went through, how scary it was, and how important it was for all of us to learn this,” she said.
Colon cancer screening should start at age 45 for most people, according to the American Cancer Society. That’s five years earlier than previously recommended, due to the growing number of early-onset cancer cases.
However, anyone with colon cancer risk factors, such as a genetic history or symptoms such as rectal bleeding, should get screened earlier.
Courtesy of Exact Sciences
A colonoscopy is the gold standard for colon cancer testing. Still, simple at-home stool tests like Cologuard are available for people 45 and older who are at average risk. Stool tests need to be done more frequently — every three years — and abnormal results require a follow-up colonoscopy.
Foudy, 55, has used the test herself. She said it’s conveniently done in about 10 minutes at home and should be standard practice, but many women her age aren’t up to date on screenings.
“I’m around active, healthy women all the time. I had a friend the other day who said, ‘I’ve never gotten screened,'” she said. “What are you doing? This is too easy. Go get it.”
