CLEVELAND, Ohio - A year after emergency surgery for Stage 3 colorectal cancer, Venoy Rogers III is transforming his experience into a powerful message about the importance of early cancer screening, especially within the African American community.

Rogers, a 46-year-old executive chef at Certified Angus Beef’s Culinary Center in Wooster, initially dismissed warning signs of his illness as an upset stomach.

By June 2024, his condition became critical, leading to emergency surgery at the University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center in Cleveland.

“I thought that it was nothing,” Rogers recalled of his initial response to symptoms. “Leading up to my diagnosis, I was experiencing stomach cramps … like little needle feelings.”

Symptoms of colorectal cancer include blood in the stool, weight l

See Full Page