Colorectal cancer is not always easy to diagnose, and it can be particularly problematic for those under 50, who are not recommended to get regular screenings. For some reason, there has been a spike in the number of younger Americans being diagnosed with colorectal cancer, and a lot of them are seeing delayed diagnoses.
Generally, the number of people being diagnosed with colorectal cancer is falling. For instance, overall rates for men have declined by about 3 percent per year, and women have seen a decrease of 2.3 percent per year. Yet the number of people aged 18-49 being diagnosed has increased by 2.1 percent between 1998 and 2007.
It's unclear why more younger people are facing the disease, but it's possible that it has to do with America's evolving diet. All that is certain is that diagnoses are being missed when they shouldn't, and that makes it much tougher for patients to recover.
One 44-year-old woman, for example, had to stop working when her symptoms grew severe. Even though she was experiencing fatigue, cramping, diarrhea and vomiting, her doctors thought she had the flu or anxiety.
It wasn't until she visited a specialist that a mass was discovered. It essentially blocked most of her colon and had actually grown through her intestinal wall. Several years later, she is cancer free, but still struggles with complications, including bowel problems.
She is not alone. Many Americans have struggled with beating the disease. It is a tough fight.
Source: Baltimore Sun, "More younger people getting colorectal cancer," Andrea K. Walker, July 29, 2012
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