Kentucky mom shares her colon cancer journey to save others
WLWT highlights Cancer Center patient, expert during Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month
University of Cincinnati Cancer Center patient Patty Goering and physician researcher Tahir Latif spoke with WLWT about Goering's story of being diagnosed and treated for colon cancer at a young age.
When she was 48, Goering, of Cold Spring, Kentucky, mentioned some lingering symptoms she'd been brushing off to her doctor. After testing, doctors confirmed she had stage three colon cancer.
"I was fairly healthy, no family history of anything or cancer," Goering said.
Goering was treated with chemotherapy, responded well and is now in remission.
"I owe them my life. They saved my life," Goering said.
Latif, MBBS, said Goering's story is part of a growing trend of younger people being diagnosed with colorectal cancers.
"Five, 10 years ago, when we see a young person with colorectal cancer, we are surprised. Nowadays, it's becoming routine," said Latif, professor in the Department of Internal Medicine in UC's College of Medicine and director of infusion services at the UC Medical Center. "Every third or fourth patient is coming in at the age of under 50."
The American Cancer Society recommends people with no family history or symptoms should get their first colonoscopy at 45. For those with a family history of colon cancer, it is recommended to schedule a colonoscopy 10 years prior to the age your family member was when they were diagnosed.
Featured photo at top of Tahir Latif. Photo/UC Health.
Related Stories
Sugar overload killing hearts
November 10, 2025
Two in five people will be told they have diabetes during their lifetime. And people who have diabetes are twice as likely to develop heart disease. One of the deadliest dangers? Diabetic cardiomyopathy. But groundbreaking University of Cincinnati research hopes to stop and even reverse the damage before it’s too late.
Is going nuclear the solution to Ohio’s energy costs?
November 10, 2025
The Ohio Capital Journal recently reported that as energy prices continue to climb, economists are weighing the benefits of going nuclear to curb costs. The publication dove into a Scioto Analysis survey of 18 economists to weigh the pros and cons of nuclear energy. One economist featured was Iryna Topolyan, PhD, professor of economics at the Carl H. Lindner College of Business.
App turns smartwatch into detector of structural heart disease
November 10, 2025
An app that uses an AI model to read a single-lead ECG from a smartwatch can detect structural heart disease, researchers reported at the 2025 Scientific Sessions of the American Heart Association. Although the technology requires further validation, researchers said it could help improve the identification of patients with heart failure, valvular conditions and left ventricular hypertrophy before they become symptomatic, which could improve the prognosis for people with these conditions.