Jenna Scott still remembers the excitement of expecting her first child — and the severe abdominal pain that came with it. Throughout her pregnancy, she repeatedly mentioned the discomfort to her doctors. She was reassured that such pain was common and simply part of the experience.
But after giving birth to a healthy baby boy, the pain didn’t go away. It stayed, quietly worsening.
More than a year later, Scott received life-altering news: she had stage 4 colon cancer. She was just 31.
“When I woke up from the colonoscopy, my husband, my doctor and several nurses were already in the room,” Scott, now 39, shared. “The GI doctor told me he didn’t need pathology results to know it was cancer.”
Stage 4, or metastatic cancer, means the disease has spread beyond its original site. In Scott’s case, it had moved from her colon to her liver.
“I’ve always been active and healthy. I’ve been an athlete my entire life and didn’t even grow up eating red meat,” she said. “Hearing the word ‘cancer’ felt unreal. I never imagined it could happen to me.”
Her story reflects a troubling national pattern: Colorectal cancer has become the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among young adults.
A Rising and Unexplained Trend
Recent research published in JAMA reveals that colorectal cancer is now the top cause of cancer death among Americans under 50, overtaking other major cancers by 2023.
Since 2005, deaths from colon and rectal cancers in this age group have increased by about 1.1% each year. In the early 1990s, colorectal cancer ranked fifth among causes of cancer death for younger people. Today, it leads the list.
Researchers say the reasons behind the rise remain unclear.
“Deaths from most major cancers in young adults are declining,” said Dr. Ahmedin Jemal of the American Cancer Society. “Colorectal cancer is the exception, and we still don’t fully understand what’s driving this increase.”
Scott, who now advocates for the Colorectal Cancer Alliance, finds the trend deeply concerning. After years of chemotherapy, targeted therapy and surgery, her condition is stable — but treatment must continue indefinitely to prevent the cancer from returning.
Her long-term hope, she says, is simple: “I want to live long enough to become a grandmother.”
No Longer an “Older Person’s Disease”
Researchers analyzed national data from 1990 to 2023 and found that while overall cancer death rates among people under 50 fell by 44%, colorectal cancer was the only major cancer type where deaths increased.
As of 2023, the leading causes of cancer death in this age group are:
Colorectal cancer
Breast cancer
Brain cancer
Lung cancer
Leukemia
“We didn’t expect colorectal cancer to climb this quickly,” Jemal said. “It’s clear this can no longer be considered a disease of older adults.”
Experts are calling for more research into environmental, lifestyle and biological factors affecting generations born after 1950. At the same time, they emphasize the urgent need for screening — especially since people ages 45 to 49 account for nearly half of diagnoses under 50.
The Screening Gap and Missed Warning Signs
Despite recommendations to begin routine screening at age 45 for average-risk adults, only about 37% of people aged 45–49 are up to date.
Screening is especially valuable because it can both detect cancer early and remove precancerous polyps before they turn into cancer.
But specialists say screening alone isn’t enough. Many younger patients already have symptoms that are overlooked or dismissed.
Common warning signs include:
Blood in the stool or rectal bleeding
Persistent abdominal pain or cramping
Changes in bowel habits lasting more than a few days
Unexplained weight loss
Ongoing fatigue or weakness
A feeling of incomplete bowel movement
Dr. Y. Nancy You of MD Anderson Cancer Center notes that delays often occur because patients ignore symptoms — or providers attribute them to less serious conditions like hemorrhoids.
These delays matter. More than 60% of colorectal cancer cases in people under 50 are diagnosed at advanced stages, when treatment is more difficult and survival rates are lower.
Awareness Could Save Lives
Oncologists say many young patients diagnosed with advanced colorectal cancer are otherwise healthy, active individuals. Some were running marathons just months before their diagnosis.
That reality underscores the need for greater awareness — among both the public and healthcare providers.
For Scott, the questions remain urgent: Why is this happening? How can healthy young people be protected? And what will it take to stop the rise?
As experts continue searching for answers, one message is clear: persistent symptoms should never be ignored — regardless of age.
Because today, colorectal cancer has become the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among young adults, and early attention could mean the difference between life and loss.
