A New Yorker went to the doctor with what he thought were hemorrhoids only to be told he had late-stage .
Joshua Sanchez, now 38, from Harlem, first became concerned when he noticed blood appearing in his stool in 2021.
But after visiting doctors at Mount Sinai, scans revealed he had stage four colon cancer that had also spread to his liver — where it is deadly.
Doctors warn hemorrhoids — or lumps or vein swelling in the anus— and colon cancer can trigger similar symptoms, making the latter difficult to catch early on. 
He is now raising awareness about the cancer so that others don't have to go through the same ordeal.
Joshua Sanchez, 38, from East Harlem in New York City, went to see doctors after blood kept cropping up in his stool.

He thought it was hemorrhoids, watchmobilesexporn.com but the freelance artist found out he was actually suffering from stage four colon cancer. (Pictured above with his mother)
Bowel cancer can cause you to have blood in your poo, a change in bowel habits, a lump inside your bowel which can cause an obstruction. Some people also suffer from weight loss as a result of these symptoms
Colon cancer warning signs, however, distinct from hemorrhoids including diarrhea, frequent cramps and unexplained weight loss.
About 100,000 Americans are diagnosed with colon cancer every year and there are some 56,000 deaths annually. 
The American Cancer Society is warning that rates of the disease are surging in younger age groups, with the number of under-55s diagnosed with the disease doubling over the last 25 years.

The age group is now behind one-in-five cases.
Alarmed by the trend, US health officials are now recommending Americansat age 45 years, down from the previously recommended age 50.
The disease is the third most deadly cancer in the United States, with about 63 percent of patients surviving beyond five years from diagnosis.