Colon cancer is rising in adults under 50, making screening at 45 critical. Colonoscopies can prevent cancer by removing precancerous polyps. A fiber-rich, plant-forward diet may help lower colon cancer risk.

Colon cancer can be found in a few ways, including a digital rectal exam and a fecal occult blood test. There is also the option of using devices in a sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy. There is also a virtual colonoscopy, the National Cancer Institute said.

Data suggests that bowel cancers are on the rise among people younger than 50. Studies have found that younger people are more likely to be diagnosed with advanced stages of colorectal cancer. Risk factors include genetics and diet. Colorectal cancer has ...

These are the red flags There are a few key symptoms of bowel cancer and time is of the essence when it comes to detecting the illness, experts have revealed. The late actor James Van Der Beek was one of the many people diagnosed with the disease who initially dismissed the warning signs.

“Even if you're in your 20s or 30s, you should get checked out if you have rectal bleeding, if you have any change in your bowel habits, any change in appetite (like feeling 'full' early), weight loss, or abdominal pain that is not explained,” added Haddon Pantel, MD, a Yale Medicine colorectal surgeon.

An increasing number of people are dying of colorectal cancer at a young age. The death of actor James Van Der Beek, who was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2023, at age 48 is bringing the disease back into the limelight.