Jenna Scott has a story that many might find relatable. Her journey began with the excitement of pregnancy, but it quickly turned into a struggle with abdominal pain that wouldn’t go away. Despite informing her doctors, she was reassured that the discomfort was normal.
After the birth of her son, the pain persisted. A year later, at just 31, Scott received the shocking diagnosis of stage 4 colon cancer. “I was stunned. Cancer wasn’t in my world,” she recalled in an email.
Stage 4 cancer means it has spread to other body parts. For Jenna, it moved from her colon to her liver. A lifelong athlete who rarely ate red meat, the diagnosis turned her life upside down. “That word felt like death,” she shared.
Scott’s experience mirrors a troubling trend. Colorectal cancer is now the leading cause of cancer deaths for young adults under 50 in the U.S. A study published in JAMA in 2023 highlights this grim reality: colorectal cancer deaths among those under 50 have risen by 1.1% per year since 2005. In the early 90s, it ranked as the fifth most common cancer death in this age group. Today, it tops the list.
Dr. Ahmedin Jemal from the American Cancer Society expressed alarm over these findings. “We don’t fully understand why this increase is happening,” he noted. While mortality rates for many other types of cancers are declining, colorectal cancer is on the rise, making it essential to understand the factors behind this trend.
Jenna is now stable thanks to treatment, including chemotherapy and surgery. However, she must continue her treatment indefinitely due to the cancer’s tendency to return. Her goal? To one day become a grandmother.
Statistically, nearly 60 new cases of colorectal cancer are diagnosed daily among people under 50 in the U.S. That’s about one diagnosis every 25 minutes. Research shows that 37% of adults aged 45 to 49 are up-to-date on their screenings, falling short of the recommended start age of 45 for regular screenings.
Symptoms of colorectal cancer include:
– Blood in the stool
– Changes in bowel habits lasting more than a few days
– Persistent abdominal pain
– Unexplained weight loss
– A feeling of fullness
Experts like Dr. Y. Nancy You stress that while screening is vital, quick diagnosis and treatment for those already showing symptoms are equally important. Too often, young adults with symptoms wait too long, leading to late-stage diagnoses, which are much harder to treat.
About 60% of patients under 50 are diagnosed at stage 3 or 4, leading to significantly lower survival rates. Dr. Andrea Cercek highlights this delay as a serious issue, noting that many young, healthy individuals ignore symptoms or have them dismissed by their doctors.
The need for awareness and faster diagnoses is more critical than ever. As Scott poignantly puts it, “What has to happen to draw more awareness to this disease? We have to stop this increase in mortality.”
In conclusion, as colorectal cancer becomes increasingly common in younger populations, both awareness and proactive screenings are essential. This issue deserves attention, especially as it impacts lives unexpectedly and severely.
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