When Sarah Murad experienced rectal bleeding for months, she wasn’t overly concerned because, at age 42, she was too young to need regular colon screenings. But after having a colonoscopy and biopsy, the mom of two young kids was shocked to learn she had stage IIIb rectal cancer.

Murad was impressed by the integrated approach taken by the experts at the UCI Health Digestive Health institute —colorectal surgeon Skandan Shanmugan, MD, medical oncologist Farshid Dayanni, MD, PhD, and her whole UCI Health team.

More than a year later, Murad is cancer-free with no digestive issues thanks to effective chemotherapy and a minimally invasive, robot-assisted surgery to remove the tumor.