30/07/2026
Sharing this because when I went through colorectal cancer, I was only 52.
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The first doctor I saw told me it was a haemorrhoid. I knew it wasnโt, so I went back the same week and asked to see a different doctor.
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By then I was in a great deal of pain, and the second doctor was genuinely shocked when I explained how the first had dismissed my concerns. I later discovered he was her husbandโthey have different surnames, so I had no idea. She took me seriously and referred me to a specialist.
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But before I even got to see him, just five days later, I woke up, went to the toilet and the bowl was full of blood.
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When my oncologist discussed my options with me, she held my hand and cried. I was told I was too young to have this insidious disease, but the tumour was aggressive and fast-growing. She did what theyโre not supposed to do. She cried with me, held my hand and promised she would save my life.
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If youโre experiencing symptoms, suffering or simply know something isnโt right, please donโt put off getting checked. If youโre not getting the answers you need, keep pushing, keep asking and keep fighting.
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Never accept, โYou just have to learn to live with it.โ
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Early-onset colorectal cancer is behaving like its own disease, and the data out of ASCO 2025 is worth a look.
Young Colon Cancer is now the leading cause of cancer death in under-50s and the only cancer growing more lethal in that cohort. The signal from recent research is that young-onset disease isn't simply the same cancer arriving early, it appears biologically distinct.
What's emerging:
๐งฌ A distinct molecular profile. Early-onset tumours are showing their own genetic "fingerprint" and different behaviour, raising questions about how we risk-stratify patients well below screening age.
๐ฅ An inflammatory-metabolic pathway. The usual environmental suspects (ultra-processed foods, a skewed omega-6 to omega-3 ratio, emulsifiers) are being linked to inflammatory pathways that may make these cancers more aggressive.
๐ฆ Reduced microbial diversity. Lower diversity and specific pathogenic species are turning up more often in young-onset cases.
Where objective data helps: a gut microbiome profile (diversity, keystone species, SCFA and barrier markers) can give you a baseline to target and track, rather than working blind.
What's your current approach to gut assessment in younger patients with GI symptoms? ๐
Comment "GI" for more gut testing information.
