Stephen Garcia cancer diagnosis: What to know about former South Carolina QB's battle with Stage 4 colon cancer

Stephen Garcia cancer diagnosis: What to know about former South Carolina QB's battle with Stage 4 colon cancer originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Former South Carolina Gamecocks quarterback Stephen Garcia announced Wednesday that he has been diagnosed with Stage 4 colorectal cancer.

Garcia shared his diagnosis on Facebook. He also called for increased awareness about the disease and noted that his doctors are "confident we can beat this."

From 2008-11, Garcia was South Carolina's starting quarterback, throwing for over 7,000 yards in his college career.

Here's what Garcia shared about his cancer diagnosis as well as what to know about the outlook.

Stephen Garcia cancer diagnosis

On Thursday, Garcia shared a Facebook post that said he had been diagnosed with Stage 4 colorectal cancer.

"Wasn’t overly excited to share this news but it is what it is. We have a great team of doctors and staff that’s confident we can beat this! It’s the only option," Garcia wrote. "If there’s one lesson to be learned, get checked and don’t be afraid to visit the doctors office when you don’t feel 100%. The stuff we consume has been altered significantly over the years and we’ve been hearing more and more people in this age range are getting diagnosed with these things. We got this and I appreciate all yall!"

He and his wife, Masha, also included a GoFundMe link that said Stephen had been diagnosed following "a few days in the ER and a battery of tests." He was already beginning chemotherapy by the time the GoFundMe was shared, with the family sharing that Garcia's "medical team is starting him on FOLFIRINOX, which confirms they are taking the most aggressive treatment path available to fight this."

“Stephen’s entire focus is now dedicated to one thing: fighting this disease with everything he has,” Masha wrote on the GoFundMe, which has drawn over $156,000 in donations as of Thursday.

Garcia was formerly a top quarterback recruit who landed at South Carolina, becoming a dual-threat weapon in the Steve Spurrier era. From 2008-11, he started in 34 games, and he remains tied for the third-most wins in program history by a starting quarterback with 20. In 2010, he led the Gamecocks to an upset of No. 1 Alabama. He did not play in the NFL, but totaled 7,597 passing yards and 47 touchdowns in his college career.

According to The State, Garcia has remained a "close friend and associate" of South Carolina's program, and he now works as a quarterback trainer in the Tampa, Florida, area. Current USC head coach Shane Beamer, who was an assistant at the school when Garcia was playing, also commented about Garcia's diagnosis.

“I talked to Stephen about an hour ago, actually, and he was in great spirits,” USC football coach Shane Beamer said Wednesday, per The State. “Then texting back and forth since we talked on the phone about an hour ago and told him to attack this thing with the same mindset that he’s attacked everything going back to when he was a player here and still is now as a human being. Told him I got his back, and we all have his back. Just praying hard for him right now.”

What is colon cancer?

Per Mayo Clinic, colon cancer is a growth of cells that begins in a part of the large intestine called the colon, which is he first and longest part of the large intestine.

It typically affects older adults, but can happen at any age, and it typically begins as small clumps of cells called polyps that form inside the colon.

Here's more to know about colon cancer.

What is Stage 4 cancer?

Stage 4 cancer means that the cancer has spread from its original location to distant parts of the body, per Cancer Center. It is also called metastatic cancer.

Stage 4 cancer is defined by its original location, no matter where in the body it is found. For colon cancer, Stage 4 means it has spread to one or more organs that are not near the colon,  most commonly being spread to the liver, lungs and/or bones.

Symptoms of colon cancer

Because polyps, the small clumps of cells that form inside the colon and can lead to cancer, do not cause symptoms, colon cancer often does not bring many symptoms before being diagnosed.

Per Mayo Clinic, when symptoms do appear, they'll likely depend on the cancer's size and where it is in the large intestine. Symptoms can include:

• A change in bowel habits, such as more frequent diarrhea or constipation.
• Rectal bleeding or blood in the stool.
• Ongoing discomfort in the belly area, such as cramps, gas or pain.
• A feeling that the bowel doesn't empty all the way during a bowel movement.
• Weakness or tiredness.
• Losing weight without trying.

Garcia, who vouched for colon cancer awareness in his post, also shared some of the symptoms he had prior to his diagnosis:

Colon cancer recovery timeline

According to Health Partners, recovery for Stage 4 colon cancer includes chemotherapy, surgery and targeted therapies. Those treatments can take from six to 12-plus months.

How old is Stephen Garcia?

Garcia is 38 years old. He will turn 39 on Feb. 15, 2027.