A mom has issued a warning of signs of colorectal cancer that people need to watch out for.
Although many people associate cancer risk with older age, colorectal cancer is increasingly being diagnosed in adults under 50. Reported figures point to roughly a three percent year-on-year rise in that younger age group.
Researchers still don’t have a definitive explanation for the trend. One study has suggested a possible link involving a virus that infects bacteria in the body and alters how those bacteria function, but scientists say more evidence is needed before drawing conclusions.
The lifetime risk remains significant: about 1 in 25 men and 1 in 26 women will develop colorectal cancer at some point.
In the US, the American Cancer Society estimates that around 108,000 people will be diagnosed in 2026, and approximately 55,230 people will die from the disease.
Overall, colorectal cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer and the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths.
About one in five diagnoses are now in people under 50. A mom who was diagnosed has since described how easy it can be to overlook the early signs, because they may be minimal—or absent.
Sharing her experience on Reddit, she wrote: “I had hardly any symptoms at all, and when I had just one mild symptom my cancer was already stage 3 and had spread.
“The most common symptom for early colon cancer is no symptoms. I was told the tumor was likely in my body for 5-10 years without me knowing.”
She also emphasized that, in her case, there weren’t any obvious warning flags that would typically put someone in a higher-risk category.
“I have no known risk factors for this cancer,” she wrote. “I am not overweight and eat well. I exercise and have a healthy lifestyle.
“Before cancer I did drink but moderately (a couple glasses of wine on the weekend.) No family history. No cancery genetic markers.”
According to her, even her medical team couldn’t point to a clear reason for the increasing number of younger patients.
“My doctors all tell me they have no idea why colorectal cancer is skyrocketing in young people,” she said.
“You can theorize all you want but until we have more funding for more research we won’t know why.
“I have met vegans, teetotalers, personal trainers who got colon cancer at a young age.”
Her main message was practical: don’t ignore concerns, and consider getting checked for polyps, which can sometimes be removed before they become cancerous.
“Colorectal cancer is PREVENTABLE if you have polyps detected and removed,” she wrote. “Actually preventable. You cannot say that for most other cancers.”