IT was the hardest thing Serdar Ferit has ever had to do – sit down with his then eight-year-old son Jaxon and explain there was no guarantee doctors could save him.
For five months, the now 45-year-old ignored his symptoms, convincing himself it was “nothing to worry about”. But, when the problem didn’t appear to go away, he sought medical advice… it was , and he was given the devastating news that his chance of surviving more than five years is roughly 10 per cent.
Serdar Ferit was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer in 2022 Credit: JamPress
He said the hardest thing he’s ever had to do is sit his son Jaxon down and tell him the news Credit: Jampress
The thought of not getting to see his son Jaxon, now 12, grow up, absolutely “crushed” Serdar.
“The most difficult thing I’ve ever done in my life is tell my son that I’ve got ,” Serdar, tells Sun .
“I was advised to tell him [about my cancer] somewhere that wasn’t a place we went to regularly, as he might develop a negative association with it, so we went to the little green area behind a local church,” says Serdar.
“I started with, ‘You know I’ve been going to the hospital lately. Do you know what cancer is?’
“He was eight at the time, and he said, ‘Do you have cancer?’ and I said, ‘I have a type of cancer, yes’.
“He burst into tears immediately. He was inconsolable and kept asking, ‘Why is this happening to me when I’m just eight-years-old?’
“He also kept asking, ‘But you’re going to be OK right, you’re not going to die? The doctors will help you.’
“It’s a really difficult position to be in, not to be able to reassure your child that everything is going to be alright.”
Despite undergoing three-and-a-half years of treatment in the UK, he is now looking elsewhere for further help to prolong his life.
The dad-of-one has dubbed himself “one of the happiest stage 4 cancer patients in the world” because he loves his life, family, and friends – and his goal is to be around for as long as possible for Jaxon.
Serdar has now undergone three-and-a-half years of treatment in the UK Credit: JamPress
Serdar, who is a documentary filmmaker and co-founder of an education platform called Lyfta, put off seeing a doctor after discovering blood in his poo back in February 2022.
He says he “convinced himself it was nothing to worry about”, and after researching the issue, believed it was (piles).
The problem continued, on and off, before he saw his doctor that July and then underwent a colonoscopy, where a camera is used to examine the rectum and large intestine, in September.
By the time he had the colonoscopy, Serdar says it was “too late”.
Recalling the moment he was given his diagnosis in 2022, Serdar said he felt “shocked, numb, [and] lost”.
Doctors found his cancer was already at stage four, had spread to his liver and was showing signs of spots on the lungs.
Serder says: “I went to see my oncologist alone and felt so disoriented when I was going back home.
“I did a lot of Googling, and saw that the five-year survival rate was 10 per cent on the Cancer Research UK website. I’ll never forget that moment.”
Every year, 44,000 Britons are , also known as .
The thing that crushed me the most was the thought of not being able to see my son grow up. In the first few months, I cried regularly
While overall rates are stable, or have declined slightly in older age groups, , or under-50s, are rising.
Research shows those born in 1990 are nearly two-and-a-half times more likely to get bowel cancer than someone born in 1950.
Sun Columnist Dame was diagnosed in, after initially being told her symptoms were likely due to IBS or stress.
She died at the age of 40, five-and-a-half years after her stage 4 diagnosis, after doctors initially told the mum-of-two she might not live to see Christmas.
Symptoms movements such as consistent and new diarrhoea or constipation, needing or feeling the need to poo more or less frequently and blood in the stool.
Stomach pain, a lump in the stomach, bloating, unexpected weight-loss and fatigue are among other signs.
Months of tears
Serdar has faced a lengthy battle for his life since his diagnosis, having undergone more than 30 chemotherapy infusions with targeted drugs, many of which lasted 48 hours.
He has also had 28 sessions of radiotherapy to his pelvis, which he says left his bottom so sore he couldn’t sit down.
Serdar also had a number of ablations – a medical procedure that uses energy to destroy small areas of tissue – to his lungs and liver, which were “very painful” and required morphine.
He added: “The thing that crushed me the most was the thought of not being able to see my son grow up. In the first few months, I cried regularly.
Serdar put off seeing a doctor after discovering blood in his stool back in February 2022 Credit: JamPress
“I’ve always been a very happy and relentlessly optimistic person, and I think those first few months were as close as I’ve come to being depressed.”
Serdar currently has seven small tumours in his lungs, which are keeping stable by ensuring they don’t grow.
However, this treatment will not cure him, and he was told in mid-2023 that the cancer is likely to adapt and become ‘immune’ to the treatment over time.
The news came after a short period of “seeming remission” and a break from treatment, and Serdar described it as “devastating.”
Now, Serdar is looking at alternative treatments outside of the UK – particularly a type of immunotherapy available in .
He is hopeful that immunotherapy can help his body do something chemotherapy often cannot: keep recognising and destroying cancer cells over time.
The proposed two-year treatment plan includes four different personalised immunotherapy drugs.
These include CAR-T therapy (where your T cells are replaced with CAR T-cells to attack cancer cells), two types of cancer ‘vaccine’, and monoclonal antibodies (which bind and target cancer cells).
He said: “I’m three-and-a-half years into this journey and I genuinely believe I’m going to be in that 10 per cent who lives beyond five years.
What are the risk factors of colon cancer?
You're at greater risk of colon cancer if you have one or more of the following risk factors:
- You’re aged over 50
- You have a strong family history of the disease
- A history of non-cancerous growths, known as polyps, in your bowel
- Long-term inflammatory bowel disease, such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis
- Type 2 diabetes
- An unhealthy lifestyle – you smoke, are overweight or obese and do not get enough exercise
“I believe I’m going to live for many years to come.
“However, I know that’s not going to happen by chance, and that’s not going to happen on its own.
“At this stage, the treatments available to me in are not very likely to prolong my life for a significant amount of time.”
After finding the Mexican clinic, Serdar travelled there to meet with the team, and is to be able to go back and undergo treatment.
He estimates the cost of travel, treatment and insurance to be £290,000, and has already raised £184,000 on his GoFundMe page, something he is “hugely grateful” for.
He says: “It has been overwhelming in an amazing way.
“I actually started the campaign on the day me and my ex-wife signed our divorce papers, which was quite emotional.
“Receiving so much love and support on the same day was so helpful.”
Serdar says his focus is family, saying: “I want to spend as much time with my son as I can.
“I want to be here for him, and be beside him as he navigates this complex and messy world of ours.
Serdar currently has seven small tumours in his lungs Credit: JamPress
“I want to see him grow from a boy into a young man, and I want to love him and support him as he does so.
“I also want to be here for my parents.
“My dad is 75 and my mum is 71, and while they are fit and healthy now, thankfully, I would love to be there to support them as they get older.”
Despite all he has been through over the past few years, Serdar says his cancer battle has seen his perspective on life change dramatically.
He said: “Honestly, most of the time I am very happy.
“I am trying to have as much joy as I can with friends and loved ones. I am saying yes to more experiences.
“I have always been a positive person, but my perspective has shifted dramatically over the last few years and I am really loving life.
“I just hope I can live for a while longer so I can really enjoy this new outlook for a good number of years.”
The 5 early symptoms of colon cancer you must know
Being aware of the signs and symptoms of bowel cancer, also known as colon cancer, spotting any changes to your normal and going to your doctor is vital.
If you spot any signs it’s important to get seen by your GP.
- Bleeding from the back passage, or blood in your poo
- A change in your normal toilet habits – going more frequently for example
- Pain or a lump in your tummy
- Extreme tiredness
- Losing weight
Tumours in the bowel typically bleed, which can cause a shortage of red blood cells, known as anaemia. It can cause tiredness and sometimes breathlessness.
In some cases bowel cancer can block the bowel, this is known as a bowel obstruction.
Other signs of bowel cancer include:
- Gripping pains in the abdomen
- Feeling bloated
- Constipation and being unable to pass wind
- Being sick
- Feeling like you need to strain – like doing a number two – but after you’ve been to the loo
- you’re aged over 50
- you have a strong family history of the disease
- a history of non-cancerous growths, known as polyps, in your bowel
- long-term inflammatory bowel disease, such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis
- type 2 diabetes
- an unhealthy lifestyle – you smoke, are overweight or obese and do not get enough exercise
The NHS bowel cancer screening programme means DIY tests are available to all those aged 60 to 74 years old.
But thanks to The Sun’s , which launched in April 2018, those tests are
The Sun campaign, spearheaded by our and with the support of leading charity Bowel Cancer UK, called for the screening age to be lowered to 50 – bringing England in line with Scotland.
In the summer of 2018, health secretary Matt Hancock announced screening in England would be lowered to 50 –
The roll out is being staggered to include different age groups, but eventually all those aged 50 and over will receive invites in the post.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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