Staci Hargraves, VP, Innovative Health, Engagement & Advocacy 

Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine  

Diane Nathaniel, Stage Three Colon Cancer Survivor and Healthcare Advocate 

Ambassador Constituent Team Leader, American Cancer Society, Cancer Action Network 

Dr. Davida White  

Sr. Director, Head of CVM Field Medical Affairs 

Johnson & Johnson  

Health professionals Staci Hargraves and Dr. Davida White joined patient advocate Diane Nathaniel in a conversation about the importance of early detection in colorectal cancer screenings in the Black community.  

According to The American Journal of Pathology, “African Americans have the highest incidence and mortality rates of colorectal cancer (CRC) of any ethnic group in the United States,” and “African Americans are two times more likely to be diagnosed with CRC before the age of 50 years, which justified the recommendation to begin endoscopic screening at the age of 45 years instead of 50 years.”  

Nathaniel was diagnosed with stage three at 44 years old. She described her journey to obtaining a diagnosis that helped her begin treatment. It started with a series of medical gaslighting incidents where doctors dismissed her concerns, which lasted for an entire decade. “I complained to doctors about chronic constipation. Chronic fatigue. I complained about a rapid weight loss, and I was age 34 at that time, and I felt like all of my complaints were ignored,” said Nathaniel.  

Doctors assumed that everything she was experiencing could be explained by the fact that she had recently given birth. “No one ever dug deep enough,” she said. Her illness progressed during the time that she was being ignored. “I later learned that it takes a polyp, seven to ten years, to turn into cancer.” 

“A colonoscopy saved my life,” she told the room. An unrelated injury led her to receive the care she needed finally. Pre-op screenings flagged cancer indicators.  

“I went in for a shoulder surgery, and they recognized that my blood levels for my hemoglobin were level four,” she continued. “We get these panels done, and we only look for what’s normal and what is abnormal, but we don’t really know what our range means and what it should be for it to be in a healthy state for us.”  

Dr. White reinforced the importance of Nathaniel’s recommendations for early intervention. “Early screening is really important, and you have to have these conversations with your doctors,” said Dr. White. “Usually, whenever we have a disease process in our bodies, whether it’s cancer or something less serious. When it’s starting, you may not always have signs or symptoms. So that’s where screening comes.” 

She explained exactly how early detection can improve outcomes. “You have more treatment options, and if it’s something more serious, your survival rates will be much better,” said Dr. White.  

Nathaniel’s treatment options were limited. “I had to have an immediate surgery removing the rectum part of my colon, 14 lymph nodes and my appendix followed by 12 rounds of chemotherapy over a course of eight months for 48 hours, every two weeks,” she said. “I am left infertile. I have neuropathy in my fingertips and my toes. So, for those of you who don’t understand how important it is, because colon cancer is one of the most beatable and treatable cancers, preventive care and screening will save your life,” she said. “You need to have your first colonoscopy. Please don’t let the doctors talk you out of it.”  

“Be honest with your doctors and tell them what you’re feeling. So that you don’t sit in pain and suffering,” she continued. She likened the relationship with one’s doctor to a romantic connection.  

“If you need care and that doctor is not being kind to you, not being respectful to you, not treating you with dignity when you are making your issues present, it is for you to treat them like the boyfriend or the girlfriend you break up with because they don’t do the right thing, find a new doctor!”  

She emphasized the need to research healthcare providers as well. “Research doctors the same way you research the new iPhone coming out.”  

Dr. White commented that the medical community needed to consider patient needs. “At Johnson & Johnson, we often talk about meeting patients where they are in the community. We often talk about developing medicines that reflect the community and the patients we intend to serve,” she said. 

Take Action:  

• Ease into Screening 

• Nathaniel suggested addressing fear of testing by inquiring about alternative screening methods. “For some of you who are afraid to move, right to the colonoscopy, an endoscopy is done in the office with the scope. It’s minimal, it’s non-invasive,” she said.  

• Share Information  

• During the question-and-answer portion of the panel, an attendee asked how the Black community could encourage Black men to prioritize their health. Hargraves commented on the need to spread the information to Black men and boys. “I think it takes each one of us to help, make sure they understand that their health is extremely important, and they, as individuals, are extremely loved by each and every one of us,” she told the audience.  

• Participate in Clinical Trials 

•  Nathaniel encouraged the room to participate in clinical research if given the chance. Black individuals are deeply underrepresented in clinical trials that could help progress treatments and interventions. “If you get a call from some of these places, I would implore you to listen and hear what they have to say because you could be a candidate,” she said.