The incidence of colon cancer is rising

New Haven, Connecticut (WFSB) – Colon cancer is on the rise, especially in people under the age of 50, and doctors don't fully understand why. There is no clear explanation for the increase, but a team of medical oncologists at Smilow Cancer Center in Yale is researching to find the answer.

A healthy lifestyle advocate, Terri Carson is a survivor of colon cancer for two and a half years. She is now 62 years old, but she began screening for colon cancer when she was 45 years old.

“I had no symptoms. Nothing normal happened. My goal was to always go ahead of things and get screening,” Carson emphasized her aggressive approach to health.

The results were good at first until colonoscopy detected cancer 15 years later.

“Even before I woke up, the doctors I attended discovered I had stage 3 colon cancer,” Carson recalled.

From there, it is at Yale New Haven Hospital, where she received six rounds of chemotherapy, but she believes that colonoscopy saved her life.

“It was the most important screening,” Carson said.

Medical oncologist Dr. Michael Secchini specializes in and researches gastrointestinal cancer at Smilow Cancer Hospital in Yale, where he serves as the Health Center's Phase 1 clinical trials unit.

“There are a lot of promising drugs right now. There are probably around 50 or 60 trials currently open in this unit alone,” Secchini said.

The team of oncologists is particularly concerned about the rise in colon cancer in people under the age of 50. Some of them are 20 years old.

According to the American Cancer Society, cases of colon cancer in this age group have increased by 10 to 15% over the past few decades, but doctors don't fully understand why.

“Unfortunately, we are still in that data collection phase. We are really trying to grasp some of these exposures. We see a lot of chemicals in the environment. Looking at a huge sample of the population, we see these slightly increasing cases of this cancer, but the findings cannot be blamed for one thing.

Surges may reflect lifestyle changes and stigma associated with significant screening. Although early research is ongoing, what we know is that colonoscopy is the best way to screen for cancer starting at 45.

“This requirement changed about 5-7 years ago. It reduced from 50 to 45. The reason is due to an increase in colorectal cancer cases among young adults.”

Dr. Secchini says the screening will save lives, but people still don't get them.

“Unfortunately, there is the stigma of colorectal cancer itself and the stigma of colonoscopy and its screening. Preparation is difficult. The procedure isn't necessarily something that some people want to do, but that's important,” Secchini said. “There should be no shame about this. Everyone should do that.”

Not everyone has symptoms, but here are some colon cancer warning signs that you should not ignore. They include changes in intestinal habits such as persistent diarrhea, constipation, or stool stenosis. Other signs include rectal bleeding or blood in the stool, abdominal pain or convulsions, and weight loss for unknown reasons. Fatigue and anemia can also be warning signs.

There are three ways to screen for colon cancer. Stool-based tests you send. There are new blood-based tests available, but the standard approved screening for this cancer is colonoscopy, which can diagnose cancer early and also remove premalignant polyps.

Carson has teamed up with Yale and the New Haven Health Department to form the Carson Cancer Coalition to remove the stigma that keeps people from being screened.

“It's not something we talk about in our community. Most of the time, it happens at a later stage and someone can literally leave the cancer, so we have to normalize it,” Carson said, emphasizing the need for acceptance and support.

And she says the best way to do that is to share her story and encourage others to open up about her experiences.

“I found strength in a personal field that I never knew existed in my life.”

Carson lived a natural holistic lifestyle and worked with the oncology team to customize treatment plans that include natural herbs and tea. Learn more about her tea here.

Copyright 2025 WFSB. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.