Cancer warrior, Denise Rosch, focused on uplifting others

Comprehensive Cancer Centers patient to be featured during Golf Classic

Denise Rosch is a nationally recognized reporter, a 15-time Emmy Award winner, a member of the Nevada Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame, a mother, wife and, most recently, a colon cancer survivor. Rosch will be featured during the 15th Annual Coaches vs. Cancer Las Vegas Golf Classic’s Mission Moment, presented by Comprehensive Cancer Centers (Comprehensive) and the Las Vegas Sports Network.

A Las Vegan through and through, she has spent her more-than-30-year career using her investigative wit to bring stories to life for her viewers, with a reputation for outstanding reporting that doesn’t spare the small details.

The small details are what she wants to bring awareness to yet again. Something as little as a regular screening and being aware of early detection would have led to her catching her cancer before it progressed to stage 4.

When she was diagnosed in October 2018, Denise began receiving care under Dr. Rupesh Parikh and the team at Comprehensive.

Although she finished chemotherapy in April 2019, after 12 rounds of treatment, and has had no issues since, she still receives scans, labs and x-rays every three to four months. Her mission remains the same: to raise awareness about screening and early detection.

Denise has faced her battle with cancer with the same determination that she has shown throughout her career and has used her platform to fight for others with cancer along the way.

She took her fight to Carson City and the Nevada State Capitol in 2019 to speak with Assembly Speaker Jason Frierson, state senators and other cancer survivors about how crucial the preventative aspect can be. Her message was simple, prevention is invaluable.

From the floor of the Nevada State Senate, she said, “And if it’s coming down here just to say, ‘Hey, don’t be like me.’ Then I don’t have a problem doing that.”

It was on that same trip that Dr. Parikh was able to say that he reviewed her scans, and they were in good standing, putting her clinically in remission.

The American Cancer Society estimates that 1,430 Nevadans will be diagnosed with colon cancer and the disease will be the second deadliest form of cancer for Nevadans this year.

Colorectal cancer is the third most common diagnosed cancer in the United States with about 1 in 23 men and 1 in 25 women developing the disease in their lifetime. When the numbers for men and women are combined, it is the second most common cause of cancer deaths with an estimated 52,280 deaths to occur this year.

“If one person goes out and gets screened today because of this, I’m good,” Denise said. Now, three years later, her mission continues and there is no telling how many lives have been saved because of it.

She fought to beat the odds against stage 4 colon cancer and now pushes for more people to get regular screenings so the odds might be in their favor if they are ever diagnosed.

She has spent her career bringing attention to issues and using her platform to spread awareness for numerous causes. Even amidst the biggest fight of her life, she has focused on what she can do to help others from ever experiencing the same battle.