Taylor Dayne reveals colon cancer diagnosis

Eighties pop star Taylor Dayne revealed to “Good Morning America” this week that she was diagnosed with colon cancer in July following a routine colonoscopy.

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“Life is precious,” the 60-year-old Grammy-nominated singer told the program, noting that her world went “dark” at the word cancer, but she has persevered.

“He never even said the stage,” Dayne said of her doctor, who assured her that they caught the malignancy early.

Colon cancer is the third-highest leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States, but is highly treatable – and curable – if detected early through a colonoscopy, according to the American Cancer Society.

The “Tell It to Your Heart” and “Love Will Lead You Back” singer also confirmed to GMA that she had surgery to remove 10 inches of her colon – and was declared cancer free immediately following the procedure – only weeks after being diagnosed.

Although she was spared chemotherapy or radiation treatments, Dayne said a “complication” during recovery landed her back in the hospital, People magazine reported.

“I ended up staying in the hospital for about 15 days, 20 days,” she told GMA, adding, “There’s no guarantees when they open you up, what’s going to happen. That’s really the truth.”

The American Cancer Society recommends that adults 45 and older get regular colon cancer screenings, either stool analyses or colonoscopies. The organization also urges people with symptoms of colon cancer — such as a change in bowel movements, like increased diarrhea; rectal bleeding; dark stools; unexpected weight loss; cramping and excess fatigue — to see a doctor immediately.

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