Patient Stories 
After 41 years on the air, Jack Caudill is used to being recognized around the Black Hills as your local news anchor. Since undergoing treatment for colorectal cancer, he’s now becoming known for a new passion: raising awareness for early detection.
The KOTA/KEVN journalist has done every job in the newsroom since starting in 1983, excluding weather. Since he’s never been much for forecasts, he wasn’t particularly excited to get a prognosis on his gastrointestinal health when his doctor advised him to get a colonoscopy at age 50. When Jack relented and had one done a decade later, he received the devastating news that he had colorectal cancer.
“I put the colonoscopy off at first,” Jack said. “When I hit 60, I figured I had better get it done. I was sure everything would be fine, but I ended up receiving my diagnosis.”
Just like that, Jack was suddenly forced to accept a new identity he hadn’t anticipated: he was a cancer patient.
“I had no symptoms at all, so it was a shock. Thankfully, it was early enough that it was just stage two,” Jack said. “Almost immediately, I was in chemotherapy.”
Following eight rounds of chemo and 28 rounds of radiation at Monument Health Cancer Care Institute (CCI) over the course of the next year, Jack underwent surgery to remove the rest of the cancerous tissue. Nearly two years following that procedure, he’s in remission.
“I’ve had colonoscopies and scans since then and they tell me I’m cancer free,” he said. “I received tremendous care at the Cancer Care Institute. It was a really scary time and one thing I truly appreciated was how kind and understanding everyone was. You’re going through something where you aren’t sure how it’s going to go and all of the clinical staff at CCI made an effort to make me as comfortable as possible. The end result has been as good, I think, as it possibly could be.”
To say enduring cancer treatment gives one a shift in perspective is an understatement, and Jack has been active in telling his story to spread the word about the importance of routine screenings and early detection. There was a time, however, that he wasn’t sure it was something he wanted to be the face of. But, being a beloved figure in the community meant he would not go through the journey alone. His absence from newscasts and a drastic change in appearance led to a flood of support in different ways: phone calls, social media comments and well-wishes about town.
“At times it felt like I was the town cancer patient,” Jack said. “There was a point where I didn’t know how public I wanted to go with everything, because I was still in a stage of uncertainty about the outcome. But then my second round of chemo went really poorly, and I lost about 40 pounds in two weeks. Because I’d been off the air and because I looked so different, people were calling the station to ask if I was OK.”
The support he received throughout his cancer journey inspired Jack to embrace his story and use it to help others.
“I thought I could make something good come out of this, and so it gave me a platform to share that message,” he said. “I had a routine screening with no symptoms, and I am convinced that screening saved my life. It’s something you don’t really think about until there’s no avoiding it. I wish I would have done it years earlier.”
Back at work, Jack produced a series of public service announcements educating on the importance of colon cancer awareness and the crucial role of screenings to catch cancer at a treatable stage. He has also made other efforts to spread his message, including engaging with people on social media and speaking at the Cancer Care Institute’s Survivorship Event last year. Putting that message out into the community has already made an impact in people’s lives.
“I’ve had people come up to me everywhere — the grocery store, wherever — and tell me they had a screening done and they found something,” he said. “Maybe that saved their lives as well. Get your screenings and listen to your doctor. Cancer doesn’t have to be the end.”
Feeling healthy and galvanized about his life’s purpose, Jack has no plans yet to sign off from any of his key roles: that of a news director and of a caring family man.
“I want to keep going; I’ve got a lot left to do,” Jack said. “Because I was able to detect and treat my cancer early enough, I still get to do the things I love and live my life. I get to watch my grandkids grow up and I get to be with my family that much longer. To me, that’s worth everything.”
Colon Cancer Screening
The American Cancer Society has developed colorectal cancer screening guidelines for people at average risk as well people at high risk for colorectal cancer. People at average risk of colon cancer (no personal or family history, no symptoms) should begin regular screenings at age 45. Those with increased risk should be screened sooner. Screening options range from stool tests to visual examinations. Consult your doctor for more information.
Why get screened?
In the U.S., approximately 10% of colorectal cancer cases are diagnosed in individuals under age 50.