More Young Adults Are Dying From Rectal Cancer–Early Signs Often Go Unnoticed

Once considered a disease of older adults, colorectal cancer is now causing a rising number of deaths among people under 45.

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Bryce Ramsey was 33, a nurse who spent her shifts watching for symptoms in other people. When she noticed blood in her stool, she told herself it was hemorrhoids. She'd just had a baby, and she was exhausted. She had a reason for everything—right up until the day she didn’t.

A 2.5-inch polyp was found during her first colonoscopy. Five days later, she received the diagnosis: colorectal cancer. Ten days later, she underwent surgery.