After ignoring warning signs, New Smyrna Beach man survives advanced colon cancer and urges others to get screened

For months, Darren Mulcahy brushed off the warning signs — rapid weight loss, night sweats and constant fatigue — assuming they were the result of a stressful job and a busy life. But when the 57-year-old New Smyrna Beach resident suddenly fainted in his kitchen one morning, he knew something was seriously wrong.

Mulcahy, who works in the financial services industry, sought medical care from his primary care physician, who referred him to gastroenterologist Dr. Muhammed Sherid for further testing.

Sherid performed a colonoscopy at AdventHealth Daytona Beach, revealing the cause: advanced stage III colorectal cancer.

Looking back, Mulcahy says the symptoms had been building for months, and he wishes he had acted sooner.

“I started losing five to 10 pounds a month without really doing anything,” Mulcahy said. “There were a lot of things happening to my body that I just wasn’t paying attention to.”

Mulcahy’s experience reflects a growing national concern.

Colorectal cancer is increasingly affecting younger adults. Nearly half of new cases now occur in people under age 65 — up from just 27% in 1995 to about 45% today, according to research highlighted by Becker’s Hospital Review.

The disease is now the leading cause of cancer death for adults under 50. About 200 adults under 65 are diagnosed every day in the U.S.

Despite these trends, screening rates remain low. Routine colorectal cancer screening begins at age 45, yet only about one-third of eligible adults are getting screened.

After his colonoscopy, doctors found that Mulcahy’s tumor had grown large enough to block part of his colon.

“Darren presented with his colon nearly completely obstructed due to advanced rectal cancer,” said Dr. Matthew Wilson, a colon and rectal surgeon at AdventHealth Daytona Beach.

Before cancer treatment could begin, the blockage had to be relieved.

“A temporary procedure called a colostomy was performed that allowed his body to function normally while he began chemotherapy and radiation,” Wilson said.

Over the next year, Mulcahy underwent chemotherapy, radiation and several surgeries at AdventHealth Daytona Beach. As the treatments shrank the tumor, Wilson was eventually able to remove the cancer using robotic-assisted surgery with the da Vinci system.

“Robotic surgery allows us to operate through smaller incisions,” Wilson said. “That typically means less pain and a faster recovery so patients can return to their daily lives sooner.”

Mulcahy’s final surgery took place in September 2025, and today he is cancer-free.

“I’m starting to get a sense of normalcy back,” he said. He is gradually returning to the routines he once enjoyed, including jogging, exercising and working in his yard.

Looking back, he says the warning signs that once seemed easy to ignore now stand out clearly.

“I just wish I had paid attention sooner,” Mulcahy said.