Bowel Cancer and Javine Hylton

British singer Javine Hylton tested positive for the bowel (colorectal) cancer gene (I’m assuming it’s HNPCC) when she was 17. Her grandmother and her uncle died of colon cancer in their 40’s and her mother was also affected. In a promotion for Jeans for Genes Day, she said:

The more awareness and money that goes into research, the more lives we can save.

It was too late for my grandmother and uncle but new research means it doesn’t have to be the killer it was. When I first found out I carried the bowel cancer gene, I was terrified I would die young too.

But knowing about it has been a blessing. I get tested every year -screening is like my buffer zone against the disease. If they do find any precancerous cells, they can just whip them out.

I love her positive attitude!

GMTV, October 5, 2006