How Brad Caught his Cancer Early with Routine Colonoscopy

Watch Brad share his story

“There’s nothing like receiving that phone call – Mr. Seiler, you have cancer.”

Brad Seiler, diagnosed with colon cancer in 2018 after a routine colonoscopy, was now practically chuckling as he thought back on the day he first got the news.

“I felt a lot better because they had found it early,” he said.

Since it was caught so early, Brad’s treatment hinged primarily on a surgery to remove the cancer.

“The doctors explained everything to me – I never felt like I was rushed,” he said. “They had me in twice to explain the surgery and I felt really good about it.”

The surgery was a success, and at that point it was just a matter of waiting to see how his body would respond.

“I did five years of cat scans every six months,” Brad recounted. “The cat scans kept coming back negative, and that’s when they declared me cancer-free.”

Brad was declared cancer-free in 2023, but has still been out doing the same things he’s always loved doing throughout his journey during those five years of follow-ups.

“After the surgery, the doctor came in and said they had got it all and everything was fine,” he mentioned. “And as things went on, I realized it wasn’t going to affect my activities at all.”

Like any of us, Brad shared that he has some days that are better than others, but always appreciates the opportunity to get out of bed each morning.

“I just plan my activities accordingly,” he said. “I still rototill and plant a garden, I cut my own grass… split firewood.”

And despite him getting back to his old hobbies and activities, things aren’t completely back to the way things were before cancer for Brad.

“I definitely changed my eating habits,” he mentioned. “I try and avoid fast food, I try to put more roughage in my diet – I love salads.”

He acknowledges that changing eating habits can be difficult, but encourages others considering it to embrace the challenge.

“You can change,” he said. “You just have to make up your mind that you’re gonna do it.”

Brad is now quite the advocate for colonoscopies and regular cancer screenings, and encourages people who might be nervous about the preparation that the prospect of catching cancer early is more than worth it.

“You go to sleep, you wake up – then my wife and I would go out for dinner!” he laughed. “Don’t think about it, do it… it’s not as bad as you think.”

Learn more about the TriHealth Cancer & Blood Institute, and find out about catching things early with colonoscopy screenings.