Though Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month ended in March, a Huntsville woman’s story is still putting attention on screening, family history and support for patients in Walker County.
Huntsville residents heard a blunt message last month from local resident Vicki Barrilleaux, a patient advocate with the Colorectal Cancer Alliance who has spent years telling people to get screened before symptoms turn into a crisis.
Barrilleaux, who has lived in Huntsville for more than three decades, said her own diagnosis came at age 47. She was later followed by a family tragedy when her sister died of stage 4 colon cancer within 75 days of diagnosis. That loss, she said, changed the course of her advocacy work.
“Today colorectal cancer is the number one cause of cancer deaths in people under 50,” Barrilleaux said.
Her account carried extra weight in Huntsville because it came from someone with long ties to the community. Barrilleaux said she and her husband made Huntsville their permanent home after returning here during his time with Southwestern Bell. She also worked at Sam Houston State University in undergraduate admissions and said the city has been home for 32 years.
Local survivor shares her diagnosis
Barrilleaux said she first noticed rectal bleeding in January 2002. At the time, she had seen television journalist Katie Couric discuss colonoscopy and colon cancer symptoms, and she knew the bleeding could be a warning sign.
Still, she waited until an appointment months later to bring it up with a doctor.
“Do not wait that long,” she said. “No one should wait three months after noticing rectal bleeding. You need to see your doctor right away.”
Barrilleaux said she was initially told she had hemorrhoids. She left that visit relieved, believing the problem was minor. But the bleeding got worse, and she later developed pain and fatigue. When she saw her primary care doctor, she said the exam quickly changed the tone.
“He left the room, came back and said, ‘Well, I found a mass and I have made an appointment for you for a biopsy,’” Barrilleaux said.
That diagnosis became stage 3 colorectal cancer. She underwent surgery and treatment, then began looking for support. In Huntsville, she said, she did not know anyone else who had gone through colon cancer treatment. That led her to search online for help and eventually connect with the Colorectal Cancer Alliance.
Search for support led to national group
Barrilleaux said one of the first resources she found was the alliance’s buddy program, which matched her with another survivor in a similar situation.
“She became my greatest resource,” Barrilleaux said.
She said a book written by a cancer survivor also stayed with her during treatment. In it, she read the phrase, “There is an obligation of the cured,” a line that helped shape what she did next.
Once her treatment ended, Barrilleaux said, she became a volunteer buddy herself.
That role became even more personal two years after her own diagnosis, when her sister was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer. Barrilleaux said she had urged her sister to be screened after her own diagnosis, but fear of the test kept her from doing it.
“When she finally presented symptoms it was too late,” Barrilleaux said.
She said her sister later told her, “That test was nothing. I should have been screened.”
Barrilleaux said that is why she now speaks publicly about screening and early action.
“So, I’m her voice now because she’s not here to be able to share her story,” she said.
A disease showing up in younger adults
One of the strongest parts of Barrilleaux’s message was that colorectal cancer is no longer seen mainly as a disease affecting older adults.
“I was diagnosed at 47 and told at the time by my doctor during radiation, ‘You were diagnosed with an old person’s cancer,’” she said. “And unfortunately, through these years, I’ve seen younger and younger people being diagnosed.”
She said the recommended age to begin average-risk screening has now moved to 45. That change matters for many families in Huntsville and across Texas, especially for people who may not think colon cancer applies to them yet.
Barrilleaux said family history can push that timetable earlier. Her sons were told they should start screening 10 years before her age at diagnosis. That meant beginning at 37.
She said one of her sons later had a polyp removed during his first colonoscopy.
“That’s the thing about colon cancer,” she said. “You can catch it before it’s even cancer. You get that polyp and it doesn’t even have a chance.”
She also recalled frustration when another son sought a referral for screening and was questioned because of his age, even with a strong family history.
“The doctor knew that he had a mother that had stage three and had lost an aunt to stage four,” Barrilleaux said. “So, here’s his family history. And he’s saying, ‘Well, now why do you want to have this test? You’re only 42.’”
Her answer was simple. Patients need to keep asking questions, and they need to know when to press for care.
Fear and embarrassment still get in the way
Barrilleaux said one of the hardest parts of public education around colon cancer is dealing with the fear and embarrassment many people feel about the test itself.
“It’s an embarrassing cancer,” she said.
But she also said that fear should not decide what happens next.
“No one should die of embarrassment,” Barrilleaux said.
She said many people avoid screening because they are uneasy about colonoscopy prep or the idea of the procedure. Others worry about cost. Those concerns are common in small communities where people may put off care until symptoms get worse.
Barrilleaux pointed to stool-based testing as one option for people without a family history, naming Cologuard as an example.
“They do have the Cologuard test now,” she said. “It’s a good first test for people who do not have a family history.”
She said the alliance website remains one of the best places to start for people trying to understand symptoms, treatment, patient support and screening options.
Long-term effects after treatment
Barrilleaux also said cancer survivors need support long after treatment ends. In her case, that has included serious health issues tied to radiation damage.
She said she recently had a kidney removed because of long-term side effects from treatment.
“So your cancer journey doesn’t end when that chemo ends and you ring the bell,” Barrilleaux said. “I mean, you have long-term side effects, but I’m alive.”
That point matters for families in Huntsville caring for loved ones after surgery, chemotherapy or radiation. Survival is one part of the story. Ongoing care, follow-up and support can last for years.
Barrilleaux said caregivers need attention too because a diagnosis affects the whole household.
“When there that diagnosis happens, everyone’s impacted,” she said.
That was part of the reason she planned a community meeting at Huntsville Memorial Hospital in March for patients, survivors and caregivers looking for support and information.
Why the message matters in Huntsville
For Walker County families, Barrilleaux’s account lands close to home because it deals with a problem many people know about only after it reaches their own family.
Cancer screening can be easy to put off in a busy town where residents are juggling work, school, caregiving and rising health care costs. Barrilleaux’s story cuts through that delay with direct warnings rooted in her own life.
She is not speaking in general terms. She is speaking as a survivor diagnosed before age 50, as a sister who lost a family member in little more than two months, and as a Huntsville resident who has seen how hard it can be to find support close to home.
Her account also fits a larger shift in cancer care. Doctors and public health groups have paid closer attention in recent years to the rise in colorectal cancer among younger adults. That has led to more talk around earlier screening, symptom awareness and family medical history.
In a city with a large university population, state employees, retirees and working families, that message reaches across age groups. People in their 40s may think screening can wait. Adults with parents or siblings who had cancer may not know they need to act earlier. Barrilleaux’s story speaks to both groups.
About the Colorectal Cancer Alliance
Barrilleaux said the Colorectal Cancer Alliance was the first group that gave her support she could use. The organization is a national nonprofit focused on colorectal cancer prevention, patient support, research and public policy.
According to the Colorectal Cancer Alliance website, the group offers patient and family support services, a helpline, a buddy program, financial help resources, screening information and education on symptoms and treatment. The organization also works on awareness campaigns and advocacy efforts tied to research funding and access to care.
Its website is colorectalcancer.org.
The site includes information for people newly diagnosed, caregivers, survivors and those looking for screening guidance. It also provides details on risk factors, warning signs, family history, clinical trials and ways to connect with trained support staff.
For Huntsville residents looking for a starting point after Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month has passed, Barrilleaux’s message remains plain. Know your family history. Pay attention to symptoms. Ask for screening when the time comes, or earlier if your history calls for it.
“It’s preventable, treatable, and beatable,” she said.