By Jhulianne Aggasid & Christopher Gutierrez, Duo Writers | March 24, 2023
Photo Courtesy of AP Images
According to Mayo Clinic, colon cancer begins in the colon - the large intestine - and usually develops from noncancerous polyps within the colon into colon cancer. Polyps are small and produce little to no symptoms, so it's recommended that you have regular screening tests to help identify polyps before they turn cancerous. The medical site reports that colon cancer may cause “a persistent change in your bowel habits, rectal bleeding or blood in your stool, persistent abdominal discomfort, a feeling that your bowel doesn’t empty completely, weakness or fatigue, and unexplained weight loss.”
Colon cancer can happen at any age, however, it is most common for older people aged 50+. Currently, cases in younger people have been increasing.
Yale Medicine’s article, “Colorectal Cancer: What Millennials and Gen Zers Need to Know”
cites the American Cancer Society states, “20% of diagnoses in 2019 were in patients under age 55 which is about double the rate in 1995, and rates of advanced disease increased about 3% annually in people younger than 50.” They also predict that an estimated 19,550 diagnoses and almost 4,000 deaths would be in younger people during 2023.
There is no exact reason for the uptick, however according to Yale, sedentary lifestyles, obesity, smoking, alcohol abuse, high-fat diets, and other environmental factors could have contributed.
Carson High School’s Nurse Mary Anne Hishinuma agrees that the uptick is influenced by diet.
“Colon cancer is a type of cancer that attacks the bowels that is easily preventable if people follow certain diets,” Hishinuma said. “I think it’s because of the diets. I think lots of people just grab and go, and I think that that’s probably what’s contributing to colon cancer, plus the environment.."
Yale doctors are urging people as young as 20 to be aware of the warning signs and to contact doctors about any suspicious symptoms. Yet, many younger adults are completely unaware of the uptick in colon cancer.
Academy of Medical Arts principal Ms. Martinez was unaware of the rise among the youth.
“I was not aware of that. I do know that, if I recall correctly, they lowered the age for screening, but I didn’t know it was younger people,” Martinez said.
Martinez believes that extensive studies by medical professionals and preventative measures may help to lower the number.
“[It’s] unfortunate that we have all these cancers to worry about. What we can do is prevent [cancer] and hope that researchers find reasons as to what's causing this increase to help us learn and prevent and maybe find cures as well.”
The recent uptick in colon cancer cases among young adults, 50 and under, can be attributed to diets. However, there is no apparent reason why the rise is happening right now. Doctors are urging people who are experiencing the listed symptoms of colon cancer to seek medical advice immediately.
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