Would You Know If You Had Colon Cancer?

Cancer screenings can feel easy to put off, but they remain one of the most effective ways to prevent cancer or detect it early. And while colorectal cancer has traditionally affected older adults, doctors are seeing more cases in younger people than they did in the past — including some before routine screening even starts at age 45.

Understanding your risk, keeping up with screenings and noticing changes in your body are simple ways to take a more proactive role in protecting your health. 

Causes of Colon Cancer 

So, why are younger people being diagnosed with colorectal cancer at higher rates?  

“That is a mystery that’s still being investigated and is not completely understood,” says Blake Read, M.D., a colorectal surgeon with Sutter Health.  

Traditional risk factors for developing colon or rectal cancer are: smoking, obesity, diabetes, lack of exercise, history of inflammatory bowel disease, low-fiber/high-fat diet and alcohol use. But he explains that in younger people, there isn’t a direct correlation between those risk factors and cancer rates.

“So, the prevailing hypothesis is that there are environmental factors that younger people have been exposed to for a longer duration than older generations,” he says. “It's speculative at this point, but there are a lot of people who are concerned it might be additives in our diet or microplastics.” 

Colon Cancer Symptoms 

“In the younger population in which we are seeing increased rates of colon and rectal cancers, it's symptoms that are driving their detection,” Read says. ​​“There's a range of colorectal cancer symptoms to be aware of.”

Those signs of colorectal cancer include:

• Abdominal pain
• Anemia (reduced hemoglobin or red blood cells), which can cause tiredness and weakness
• Blood in the stool  
• Blood when wiping after a bowel movement
• Change in bowel habits, such as increased or decreased frequency  
• Change in the consistency of the stool — more diarrhea or constipation or if it’s mucousy or bloody
• Weight loss without trying

Colorectal cancer symptoms in women and men are the same. 

When to See a Doctor

A lot of the signs of colon cancer can be signs of another health issue. But, Read says, if there’s a persistent problem — whether it’s bleeding, changes in bowel habits or ongoing abdominal pain — it’s worth talking to your doctor.  

“There is also an additive effect,” Read notes. “If there are multiple symptoms, that starts to become very worrisome.”  

If it’s not colorectal cancer, a gastroenterologist can help assess the root cause of the symptoms you’re experiencing and help you find relief. And if it is colon cancer, the sooner you can get a diagnosis, the better.

“Detecting it earlier opens up options for less invasive, less life-altering interventions,” Read says. 

When to Get Screened for Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer survival rates improve with screening. The American Cancer Society recommends that cancer screenings begin at age 45 for people with an average risk of developing colon cancer. Average risk means you don’t have:

• A personal history of colon cancer or certain types of polyps
• A family history of colon cancer
• A personal history of inflammatory bowel disease  
• A confirmed or suspected hereditary colon cancer syndrome
• A personal history of getting radiation to the abdomen (belly) or pelvic area for cancer treatment

If you’re at higher-than-average risk, your doctor will make a personalized recommendation on when to start screenings.  

“It’s important to break the stigma around talking about colon and rectal cancers with your family, because asking parents, siblings and other relatives about their own history of polyp detection and colon and rectal cancers could influence the age at which you should start your own screening,” Read says.  

Colorectal cancer screening can be performed with a stool-based test or a visual exam, such as a ​​colonoscopy, which examines the colon and rectum.  

“The overall incidence of colon and rectal cancers has gone down because people older than the screening ages are getting their colonoscopies, and when polyps (potentially precancerous growths) are detected, they are being removed before they ever have the chance to develop into a cancer. Once you meet the screening criteria, a colonoscopy is highly recommended because it could be therapeutic as well as diagnostic.”