A Father, a Fighter: Philip's story highlights recent colon cancer trends

March is Colon Cancer Awareness Month, and this year the message is stark: colon cancer is now the number one cause of cancer death in Americans under 50. 

We’ve seen it on the news with celebrity deaths like actor James Van Der Beek, who announced his stage 3 colon cancer diagnosis in 2024 and died at age 48 in February this year.

For 43-year-old Philip Shipman of Norfolk, the trend is deeply personal.

Diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer in November 2024, Philip entered treatment at Sentara Brock Cancer Center with determination. 

When chemotherapy stopped working in December 2025, he joined a clinical trial at Virginia Commonwealth University, continuing the fight with the same quiet strength he brings to his life.

Cancer has shaped Philip’s story before. He lost his father at age 7. When his own son reached that same age in 2023, Philip felt a sense of relief — until his diagnosis arrived a year. 

“It hit hard,” he said. “I thought we were past that moment.”

Yet Philip refuses to let cancer define his days. He volunteers as an ambassador with the Hampton Roads LEGO User Group, coaches soccer, photographs youth basketball games, and participates in Sentara Brock Cancer Center’s Man Up to Cancer group, one of the region’s only male-focused cancer support communities.

“What kind of legacy can I leave behind now?” Philip said. “I can’t change national politics, but I can make a difference in my neighborhood. Maybe parents will look back at photos of their kids and remember, ‘He took those pictures.’ Small things matter.” 

Philip, his son, and wife enjoy playing with LEGO trains.

Doctors say Philip’s experience reflects a national trend. William Rudolph, M.D., a colorectal surgeon with Sentara Surgery Specialists, has seen a dramatic rise in younger colorectal cancer patients. 

“People have to know colorectal cancer is becoming a younger person’s disease,” said Dr. Rudolph. “Rectal cancer in specific used to be an older person’s disease and now about 50% of the patients I see in my office for rectal cancer are under the age of 50.”

He urges people to take symptoms seriously, especially rectal bleeding, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and iron deficiency. Too often, he says, young patients are told their symptoms are minor, only to discover cancer later.

As the community raises awareness this month, Sentara invites patients, survivors, families, and friends to join the Don’t Sit on Colon Cancer 5K on March 28, at Sentara Princess Anne Hospital in Virginia Beach, Va.

You can register for the 5K on Sentara's website and help support patients like Philip and raise awareness of early screening. 

For more information on the men's support group at the Sentara Brock Cancer Center or the Man Up to Cancer group, contact Kevin Johnson, Virginia Chapter Co-Leader, at kevinvbtech@gmail.com or (757) 477-4147.