While most cases of colon and rectal cancer are found in people 50 and over, the American Cancer Society notes a sharp spike of colorectal cancer in adults in their 20s and 30s.
In a recent article by the New York Times, Sarah DeBord speaks about the first time she noticed blood in her stool, which was when she was 24. She talks about her experience going to the doctor and getting a procedure called a flexible sigmoidscopy and then given the diagnosis of hemorrhoids.
For the next 10 years, she treated blood in her stool as just hemorrhoids, until she finally saw changes such as weight lost and constipation. She finally went back to the doctors, underwent a colonoscopy and learned that she had inoperable advanced colorectal cancer that had spread to her lungs.
In the article, a gastroenterologist doctor speaks about the importance of being aware of signs, because although colorectal cancer is still relatively low in young adults, there is still a slight increase.
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Jodelle joined TriMed Media Group in 2016 as a senior writer, focusing on content for Radiology Business and Health Imaging. After receiving her master's from DePaul University, she worked as a news reporter and communications specialist.