Woman diagnosed with cancer after minor symptoms: "Couldn't believe it"

HealthWatch A Texas woman thought her new diet was causing digestive issues. Doctors found cancer: "I couldn't believe it" .chip { background-image: url('/fly/bundles/cbsnewscore/images/chip-bgd/chip-bgd-healthwatch.jpg'); } By Kerry Breen Kerry Breen News Editor Kerry Breen is a news editor at CBSNews.com. A graduate of New York University's Arthur L. Carter School of Journalism, she previously worked at NBC News' TODAY Digital. She covers current events, breaking news and issues including substance use. Read Full Bio Kerry Breen May 30, 2026 / 8:00 AM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google Candace Tucker spent a lot of time thinking about cancer. Her family had received frightening diagnoses over the years: Her grandfather with prostate cancer, her grandmother with breast cancer, and her aunt with pancreatic cancer. Tucker also worked at an oncology practice in her small Texas town. She was surrounded daily by both cancer patients and physicians. Still, when she noticed some strange bowel movements and a small amount of blood in her stool in September 2025, she thought nothing of it. Work was busy, and when she was at home, she was raising her 7-year-old grandson and cheering on the sidelines of his baseball games. She also had just started changing her diet to incorporate more fiber, so she thought that was to blame. After a few months of mild discomfort and the occasional "little spot" of blood, Tucker realized that something wasn't right. She underwent a colonoscopy. The doctor who performed the procedure said it looked like she had cancer, but warned that it was too early to tell. A week later, pathology results confirmed her fears: She had Stage II rectal cancer.  Candace Tucker and her husband. Candace Tucker "I was terrified. I couldn't believe it," Tucker, 41, said. "Your mind goes to the worst possible scenario. I was crying. I immediately called my mother-in-law. My husband was there, my grandson was there. And I tried to be strong, because...