A man diagnosed with colon cancer aged 29 fears he caused his own disease by eating too much fast food and red meat for years.
Joe Faratzis, now 34 and from Los Angeles, was diagnosed with stage four colon cancer in 2019 after spending years with symptoms, including a dull ache in his abdomen and discovering blood stains on his toilet paper.
He is one of the victims of a mysterious rise in colon cancer cases among adults under the age of 50, which many doctors have attributed to poor diets and processed foods.
Faratzis told DailyMail.com: ‘I really think I caused my own colon cancer, that’s my personal opinion.
‘My diet was heavy on processed foods and red meat, there were a lot of similarly processed things – like Subway sandwiches – and late night snacks – it really wasn’t the best. I have also done genetic tests and I am not predisposed to colon cancer.’
Joe Faratzis, now 34 and from Los Angeles, is pictured above in his 20s, before the cancer was discovered (left) and during treatment that began in 2020 (right)
The above graph shows cases of colon cancer among under 50s by year. There is a drop in 2020 because the Covid pandemic led to fewer people signing up for screenings
He added online: ‘It’s a really hard pill to swallow when you think your problems are caused by things you’ve directly done.
‘But when I think back to when I found the tumor and the doctor said it had probably been there for about three years or so. Thinking back, I was 25 at the time and didn’t take care of myself.
‘I was on like the s******* diet. I ate Subway – like Subway Italian sandwiches – non stop, like every other day I feel like it because I was too lazy to cook.
‘And I wanted to eat red meat like no one else. Every time I had a chance to have a steak, I mean, who doesn’t love fuckin’ steak.
“But unfortunately, I think my diet is what ended up causing my colon cancer.”
Several studies have linked a diet high in ultra-processed foods — such as mass-produced bread and convenience foods — to a higher risk of cancer, including colon cancer, with one study suggesting it increases risk by 29 percent among men who eat the most processed food compared to those who eat the least.
Experts believe that chemicals, dyes, sweeteners and preservatives added to products to extend shelf life may increase the risk by causing mutations in DNA.
California became the first US state to begin banning food additives this year, which have been legal for decades in America even after they were banned in Europe.
Yesterday, the state also began considering a further ban on additives for schools.
Sir. Faratzis said: ‘I’ve never been told that specifically, it’s been kind of hinted at… I don’t have anything genetic that would cause colorectal cancer.
‘So I guess I’ll have to chalk it up to being my own fault unfortunately. I hope I’m wrong, but that’s sort of the conclusion I’ve come to unfortunately.’
Nutritionists divide foods into three groups based on the amount of processing they have undergone. Minimally processed foods, like apples, are usually exactly as they appear in nature. Processed foods, like applesauce, have undergone at least one level of processing that has changed their original form. In contrast, ultra-processed foods like apple jelly babies have undergone multiple levels of processing and are usually full of added fats, colors and preservatives
Subway sandwiches contained the preservative azodicarbonamide until 2014, which can break down into a cancer-causing substance in the body. The European Union banned the substance in 2005.
Many of their meats currently contain the additive sodium nitrite, which studies previously have associated with a higher risk of colon cancer.
Several studies have also linked the consumption of large amounts of red meat to colon cancer, warning that nitrates and nitrites in the meat can break down into a substance that can damage cells in the intestine.
Faratzis first began to suffer from symptoms of the cancer in his late 20s, when he had a dull and mild pain in his chest every time he bent down.
He went to doctors who ordered a CT scan, but the young professional – who works in the entertainment industry – never followed through, saying he thought it was unnecessary and far too expensive.
About six months later, he noticed that there were spots of blood on his toilet paper once or twice a week – which he assumed was due to a benign problem.
He said: ‘As a 28-year-old man I thought I was invincible so I didn’t do anything about it.
“And I didn’t want to just run to the doctor for a rectal examination. The whole situation… seemed uncomfortable and embarrassing.’
A few months later, however, he was sitting on the sofa when he suddenly saw blood on the sofa. He rushed to the toilet, where about half a cup of blood came out of his body.
He then rushed to doctors, who ordered a CT scan and a colonoscopy, which revealed he had what doctors believed at the time to be stage two cancer — or cancer that hadn’t spread from his colon.
He received chemotherapy to reduce the size of the tumor and then underwent surgery to remove the part of his colon that contained cancer in early 2020.
Faratzis pictured in hospital during his treatment for stage four colon cancer
Faratzis had more than 11 operations on his lungs after doctors found the cancer had spread there. He is pictured above with his girlfriend Madison and their dog
Faratzis has had no cancer cells detected in his body for a year and is hopeful for the future
At that time he also had a colostomy bag fitted – where the small intestine is diverted to empty into a bag instead of the large colon to give the large intestine time to heal.
Faratzis then underwent more imaging tests, which revealed that the cancer had spread to his lungs and liver.
This led to another three months of chemotherapy and, over the past few years, 11 operations on her lungs to remove cancerous spots that kept appearing.
Faratzis says that he has now gone a year without any new cancers appearing, but that he still has to see doctors for scans every three months.
He told DailyMail.com: ‘Nothing has appeared anywhere in the last year, no signs of any kind of tumors growing.
‘But the cancer spread either through the blood or the lymphatic system, so there may still be some circulating tumor cells.’
It comes after a California bill was unveiled yesterday aimed at banning even more popular food additives from public schools linked to cancer and behavioral problems.
Democrats introduced the bill to ban Red Dye No. 40, Yellow Dye No. 5, Yellow Dye No. 6, Blue Dye No. 1, Blue Dye No. 2, Green Dye No. 3, and Titanium Dioxide from schools.
If passed, the legislation would require brands to change their recipes by 2025 or face being barred from the state.
The state has also banned potassium bromate, propyl paraben, brominated vegetable oil and Red Dye No.3 – with this set to take effect in 2027.
Other states, including New York and Pennsylvania, are also considering following suit.