The Walking Dead star Erik Jensen is facing a fresh health battle less than two years after surviving a brain aneurysm.
The 53-year-old actor, writer and director, who played Dr. Stephen Edwards in the horror drama, has been diagnosed with stage four colon cancer, according to his family.
“The cancer has metastasised to his liver, but Erik is young and strong (cutting a film during chemo, working full-time as a director and writer throughout),” his family wrote on GoFundMe.
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Jensen’s family says “his doctors think they have a shot at shrinking the tumours enough to do two very major surgeries and get them all out.”
“He can make it through this. But Erik and his family are in for the fight of their lives,” the family’s message continues.
Jensen shares a 13-year-old daughter, Sadie, with his wife of 22 years, Jessica Blank.
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Colon cancer – also known by its umbrella terms colorectal cancer or bowel cancer – is the third most common cancer in the world, following lung cancer and breast cancer.
According to the World Health Organisation, colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths across the globe.
The Cancer Council says roughly 90 per cent of bowel cancer cases, however, can be successfully treated if detected early enough.
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Australians aged between 50 to 74 qualify for the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program, which, every two years, sends a free bowel screening test in the mail.
Jensen’s family say although his diagnosis is “scary”, he’s “determined to make it through this”.
They wrote on his online crowdfunding page: “Stage IV is not a death sentence, and Erik is working incredibly hard to stay positive and fight for the shot that his doctors say he has.”