It’s important to know that colorectal cancer doesn’t just happen to old people, says Peter Liang, MD, MPH, an assistant professor at the New York University School of Medicine in New York City. Celebrities in their 40s such as Chadwick Boseman and James Van Der Beek have had the diagnosis.
Colon cancer deaths also are decreasing among people older than 50 years old.
Why is this happening? Research has pointed to childhood exposure to a toxin produced by certain E. coli bacteria as a potential factor in early-onset colorectal cancer.
As for red flags, about 1 in 5 people with colorectal cancer experienced at least one of the following symptoms between three months and two years before their cancer diagnosis, and about half experienced them in the three months before their diagnosis.
Anemia
Iron-deficiency anemia occurs when your body does not have enough iron to produce red blood cells. These cells are important for removing carbon dioxide from your body and carrying oxygen to your tissues. When you are anemic, you may feel tired and out of breath.
Bloody Stools
A number of factors can lead to blood in your bowel movements. If you have a tumor or polyp in your colon, it may bleed into your digestive tract. This may make your stool black or dark brown. But you also may not notice blood in your stool at all.
Diarrhea
Inflammation in your colon can cause diarrhea, as can fluid from a tumor or a blockage.
Similar symptoms may include constipation, narrow stool, and a full feeling after a bowel movement, as though your bowels have not fully emptied.
Abdominal Pain
This pain may be sharp or feel like cramps in your belly that do not go away on their own.
Abdominal pain from colon cancer is more common on the left side of the body.
“Everyone, regardless of age, should recognize that symptoms such as ongoing abdominal pain and rectal bleeding, as well as lab tests showing anemia, could be a sign of colorectal cancer,” Dr. Liang says. “If you have any of these symptoms, you should talk to a physician.”