Pat’s Story: A Routine Screening, A Lifesaving Result

As Pat Driscoll approached his 45th birthday, he assumed he was just being responsible by getting the annual physical his wife had been urging him to schedule. 

Everything looked normal—blood work, cholesterol, blood pressure—until his doctor glanced at his chart and said, "You’re turning 45 soon. Make sure you schedule your first colonoscopy." Pat was surprised; he hadn’t realized that the recommended age for colorectal cancer screening had recently been lowered to 45. 

As a six-time marathoner, high school special education teacher, and track coach, he felt he was in peak health, and didn’t think twice about his first colonoscopy, expecting a routine screening.  

A few days later, in the middle of a school day, his phone rang. “Can you talk?” his doctor asked, and shared the life-changing news: they had found a cancerous polyp. 

An unexpected diagnosis, and a familiar place to turn 

The news was shocking and confusing- just as it is for many of the growing number of adults under 50 diagnosed with colorectal cancer, often without a single symptom like him. 

“I felt fine. I was running three miles a day, coaching and teaching, taking care of my kids—and inside my body the whole time, something bad was happening.” 

Pat’s family already had deep roots at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia- his daughter had been born there just a few years before and two of his relatives work there- so choosing to begin his care there was a natural next step. 

At Columbia, Pat met Dr. Beatrice Dionigi, a colorectal surgeon specializing in early-onset cancer, who immediately brought Pat and his family comfort amid the whirlwind of chaos. “You’re going in with no clue what to expect other than your own research, but at the first consultation, she made us feel at ease- explaining exactly what was happening and what would come next.” 

The most important next step, Dr. Dionigi explained, was getting an updated CT scan, since Pat’s initial radiology report suggested the cancer might have spread to nearby lymph nodes. 

The wait for results brought sleepless nights, but the scan revealed what everyone had hoped: the cancer was localized, meaning he would likely need only surgery to remove the original polyp. 

On February 28th, Pat underwent surgery with Dr. Dionigi at Columbia. She removed several inches of his colon along with surrounding lymph nodes to be sure all the margins were clear.  

“I can't say enough about everyone’s attention and care during my stay the hospital— the updates from everyone were constant. Anything we needed, we got.” 

Most importantly, the surgery was a success. A few weeks later, Pat met with Dr. Yoanna Pumpalova, the oncologist who had been working alongside Dr. Dionigi on his care. 

She explained that his tests showed that the surgery had gotten all of the cancer- and removed enough of the surrounding muscle in his colon that no other treatment would be needed. Instead, following Dr. Pumpalova’s guidance, Pat would be monitored with a new and innovative circulating tumor DNA blood test every three months to check for any remaining cancer markers, which could conveniently be done at home. 

Running towards normalcy 

Pat’s recovery in the months after surgery was challenging. He couldn’t return to teaching until May, both to avoid the risk of a hernia and to prevent accidental bumps to his surgical site from students in the hallway 

But by July, Pat found himself able to run again, and by the fall, he was back to coaching cross country. Today, he’s physically strong, emotionally grounded, and deeply grateful for his faith, family, and care for getting him to the finish line. 

Looking back, Pat still sometimes wonders how this happened. “It wasn’t ‘Why me?’ but ‘How?’ I eat a healthy diet. I don’t drink much. Fast food is only an occasional thing. You just assume colon cancer is linked to drinking or unhealthy habits.” 

Despite the uncertainty, Pat never felt overwhelmed by fear. “It was more, ‘They have a plan, I’m going to follow it.’ If they’re confident, then I’m confident.” 

Now, a full year after the surgery that removed the cancer completely, he feels motivated to bring his story back to the track, the field, and the break room. He talks often with colleagues- men his age, fathers and runners like him- about colorectal cancer and the importance of screening starting at 45. 

“You’ve got to get the colonoscopy, even if you feel good. If I had waited until 50, I might not be having this conversation.”