Grandpa George鈥檚 Legacy: Knowing Is Half the Battle
It鈥檚 not clear if 鈥楪randpa George鈥 knew of his potential risk for colorectal cancer (CRC). He succumbed to the disease in 1948 at 39, just a few years after his return home from serving in World War II on a submarine. Alex Lenz鈥檚 father鈥攖hen a young boy who lost his hero with barely a year鈥檚 worth of memories of George鈥攍ater came to suspect a hereditary condition may be lurking in his family鈥檚 genes. He sought answers.
Early adopter for genetic testing
鈥淗e was always interested in everything that was changing in the world of science,鈥 recalled Lenz, Senior Operations Manager at 成人B站. When genetic testing became available at (Boston), 鈥渉e was basically the first in line to get it,鈥 Lenz said of his father, who had a PhD in organic chemistry from the . The test was positive for , which is associated with a substantial risk of CRC, and depending on the variant, a risk of other primary cancers such as gastric, ovarian, prostate, brain, and skin cancer.1
A motivator for action
Lenz鈥檚 father knew the odds. 鈥淵ou need to get checked, because there鈥檚 a 50% chance that I passed it on to you and your sisters,鈥 Lenz recalled him saying. It seemed he wanted his offspring prepared for what he would endure. 鈥淢y father鈥檚 first cancer when he was diagnosed at the age of 52 was colon cancer; however, he ended up having four more primary cancers over the course of 22 years,鈥 said Lenz. 鈥淢y uncle, who is currently 78 years old, had鈥olorectal cancer too, and now his fourth cancer is prostate stage IV, and that is what he鈥檚 battling right now.鈥 Lenz said his uncle has also tested positive for Lynch syndrome.
It's an inheritance no one wants, but Lenz jokes that the old 鈥渒nowledge is power鈥 adage fuels his approach to take life head on. 鈥淚 went ahead and got tested, too 鈥 I have it.鈥 He readily admits it was a gut punch, but he wasn鈥檛 down for long.
George Lenz, Jr. (left) pictured with his father George Lenz, Sr. (aka 鈥楪randpa George鈥) in 1943.
One day of wallowing, then a lifetime of fighting
鈥淚 gave myself 24 hours to wallow, and feel it, and come up with a path forward,鈥 said Lenz. That was roughly 20 years ago. Since then, Lenz鈥檚 path forward has been a vigilant one. 鈥淧reventative maintenance is the most important thing on the planet,鈥 said Lenz. 鈥淚 started getting colonoscopies 20+ years ago, every year. I get an endoscopy every other year. I get skin checks, I get an ultrasound, bloodwork, the whole nine yards, because early detection and screening could cut cancer off at the knees, potentially, so I鈥檓 doing everything I can to prolong my life.鈥
Fight or flight? Both
Quite literally, 鈥淚鈥檓 trying to outrun this potential diagnosis,鈥 said Lenz. 鈥淚 started running, and biking, and swimming, and over the course of the last 15 years or so, I鈥檝e done a whole pile of marathons [and] triathlons,鈥 said Lenz. 鈥淚 think the healthier I can be now, as I turn 50 鈥 the better it will set me up for future battles to come that are unseen.鈥
Alex Lenz, Senior Operations Manager, 成人B站, cycling through the Frances A. Crane Wildlife Management Area on Cape Cod, Mass.
Serendipitous job at 成人B站
Lenz says that landing at 成人B站 is 鈥渒ind of serendipitous鈥 given his genetic predisposition and the endoscopic technology the company develops. His inspiration to amplify his advocacy of CRC awareness and screening was fueled in part by the story. 鈥淚 have seen him perform many times during the course of my lifetime,鈥 said Lenz. 鈥淗e was a phenomenal gentleman, a great man, and a great musician to see live. Such an amazing talent to have lost so young.鈥 The saxophonist was diagnosed with stage III CRC at 38 and partnered with 成人B站 to advocate for awareness of family health history and CRC screening. He died in August 2023 at age 40.
Lenz, reflecting on his milestone birthday, added, 鈥淚 have a voice and I鈥檓 not afraid to use it. I think getting screened early and often is the best preventative maintenance you can do because colon cancer [is] on the rise, it鈥檚 hitting people younger, and it鈥檚 preventable.鈥2
As for his personal motivations, 鈥淚 have three kids I want to see grow up,鈥 said Lenz. 鈥淭his is my story. I鈥檝e got this thing. I鈥檓 not letting it get me down because there鈥檚 a lot to do and see in this world and I feel like I鈥檓 just getting started.鈥
Ready to get started with colon cancer screening? Learn more about getting a colonoscopy and read more stories to inspire and motivate you!
Does CRC run in your family? Find out more about managing risk and getting answers.
Get more resources on Lynch syndrome, including podcasts, blogs, and links to support communities.
References
1. Sherman S, Ojha SK, Menon G, et al. [Updated 2025 Jan 19]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan-.
2. Cancer.org . Accessed July 21, 2025.
