Actor James Van Der Beek’s death following a battle with colon cancer offers a stark reminder about a rising threat to young adults. While incidence rates for many cancers have been on the decline for several decades, the opposite is true for colon cancer – particularly among adults under the age of 50.
We still don’t know for certain why the disease is on the rise among younger people like the 48-year-old Van Der Beek, who was diagnosed three years ago with stage 3 colon cancer. Research is limited, but one study led by the American Cancer Society found that the risk in people under age 55 has doubled since the late 1970s.
There are likely several factors at play, but among the likely culprits are modern dietary habits, which rely heavily on highly processed foods that are often laden with carcinogens. The more of these that we eat, the greater our chances of creating gene mutations that eventually become cancerous. Other potential contributors include rising obesity levels – which keeps the body in a constant state of low-grade inflammation – and sedentary lifestyles.
Warning Signs
After Van Der Beek, known for his starring role in the TV series Dawson’s Creek, received his diagnosis, he went public with his experience, urging others to learn from it and take precautions, including talking with their doctors and getting screened for the disease.
Like others with advanced colon cancer, the actor started noticing changes in his bowel habits. After initially attributing the issues to his diet, he eventually went in for a colonoscopy. There are several symptoms that serve as warnings signs for the disease.
These include:
- Blood in your stool: Any amount of blood in your stool is not normal. Often people are quick to blame it on hemorrhoids, which is often the correct assumption. But unless you have a colonoscopy, you won’t know for sure.
- Change in bowel habits: This could include diarrhea or constipation that lasts several days or changes in the texture or shape of your stool.
- Bloating or abdominal pain
- Unexplained weight loss
It is important to understand the difference between a “diagnostic” colonoscopy and a “screening” colonoscopy. A diagnostic colonoscopy is what’s called for if you are experiencing symptoms that suggest you might have colon cancer. In this case, it doesn’t matter how old you are or when you had your last screening. All that matters is that you see your doctor or a colorectal surgeon to discuss whether a colonoscopy is necessary to diagnose your current symptoms.
Timing Is Everything
If you want to understand the importance of early colon cancer screenings, consider that the disease is the second-leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S., behind only lung cancer. Yet colon cancer has a cure rate of more than 90 percent when caught in its earliest stages. The problem is that in two-thirds of cases, the disease is already in advanced stages by the time it is diagnosed.
That’s one of the reasons the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force now recommends colorectal cancer screenings starting at age 45, with follow-up screenings every five to 10 years after. Those guidelines apply to people without symptoms, no risk factors, no family history and no obvious symptoms.
A colonoscopy isn’t only looking for signs of cancer. The procedure also offers an opportunity for your surgeon to locate and remove small polyps – clusters of abnormal cells found on intestinal walls – that have the potential to become cancerous over time.
Breaking Through
With colon cancer cases on the rise among young people, there is clearly work to be done in terms of both prevention and early detection. It doesn’t help that people aren’t always eager to talk about their digestive issues. Most people who experience blood in their stool or painful bowel movements are more likely to shy away from these subjects in conversations.
In a perfect world, those types of conversations – even among friends – would become more normalized. Without that, it becomes even more important to have open and honest conversations with your doctor. Keep in mind that there’s nothing you can tell your doctor that they haven’t heard before.
This content is not AI generated.
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