When most people think of cancer, they imagine a disease that strikes later in life, a distant threat that comes with age. But a growing body of evidence—and a string of high-profile cases—shows that colorectal cancer is no longer just an "old person’s disease." In fact, it is increasingly affecting young adults, catching many off guard and prompting urgent calls for change in screening practices and public awareness.
According to data published by Yahoo Canada, an estimated 26,400 Canadians were diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2025, making up about 10 percent of all new cancer cases and placing it as the fourth most common cancer type in the country. More sobering still, roughly 25 people die from colorectal cancer every day in Canada. These numbers are not merely statistics—they represent lives interrupted, families changed, and a healthcare system facing a shifting battlefront.
Recent months have seen the loss of beloved public figures to this disease. On February 11, 2026, actor James Van Der Beek died at age 48, just over a year after revealing his colorectal cancer diagnosis. Earlier in February, Canadian actress Catherine O’Hara passed away at 71 after privately facing rectal cancer. The tragic death of Chadwick Boseman in 2020 at just 43 also remains fresh in the public’s memory, underscoring the unpredictability and reach of colorectal cancer.
These stories have fueled a movement among advocates in Canada, who are pressing health authorities to lower the recommended starting age for colorectal cancer screening from 50 to 45. The rationale is clear: cases among younger adults are on the rise, and waiting until 50 to begin screening may mean missing the window for early detection in many at-risk individuals.
Barry Stein, president and CEO of Colorectal Cancer Canada, knows firsthand the dangers of delayed diagnosis. In 1995, while balancing the demands of a legal career, Stein began experiencing troubling symptoms—blood in his stool, migraines, abdominal pain, and nausea. Like many, he initially attributed these issues to stress. "I was turning 41 at the time and had no idea what cancer even was," Stein told Yahoo Canada. "People didn’t say that word so much in 1995, let alone colorectal cancer. These were symptoms that came and went, so I ignored them." It wasn’t until he finally underwent a fecal occult blood test and colonoscopies that the truth emerged: he had stage four colorectal cancer, which had already spread to his liver and lungs.
Stein’s experience is not unique. Kirsten Scheller, now 36 and cancer-free, began noticing blood in her stool at just 19 while attending college in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Despite also experiencing bloating and fatigue, she was repeatedly told by doctors that she was too young and healthy for colon cancer. "Being in college and being a woman, I didn’t really think much about those symptoms," Scheller told Business Insider. Her mother, a nurse, pushed her to see a specialist, but it took nearly three years and countless dismissals before she finally received a diagnosis. At 22, just a month before graduating, a flexible sigmoidoscopy and subsequent surgery revealed she had stage 3 colon cancer. The doctor later told her that had she waited a few more months, it likely would have progressed to stage 4.
Scheller’s journey through treatment was grueling: nine months of intensive chemotherapy, full menopause induced by medication to preserve her fertility, and severe neuropathy requiring months of physical therapy. She completed her college finals in the hospital and managed to graduate on time, but the impact on her health, friendships, and outlook was profound. "That was the hardest part, this grief of losing friendships while I had to grow up extremely quickly and just not know what the next week was going to look like," she recalled.
Now cancer-free and an advocate for early-onset colon cancer awareness, Scheller undergoes regular screenings—initially every three months, now every 9 to 12 months—due to an unknown genetic mutation that causes rapid precancerous polyp growth. She urges others, especially those with symptoms or family history, to push for thorough screening and not settle for partial measures. "Knowing what I know now, I would also recommend advocating for a full colonoscopy over a flexible sigmoidoscopy for screening," she said, noting that while the former is more involved, it examines the entire colon and is more likely to catch potential problems early.
Stein and Scheller’s stories echo a growing consensus among experts and advocates: prevention and early detection are far more effective and less traumatic than treatment. Stein emphasized five key actions for prevention: don’t ignore changes in bowel habits; don’t skip regular screenings; avoid foods linked to colorectal cancer (such as processed meats, red meat, excessive alcohol, sugary drinks, and highly processed foods); maintain an active lifestyle; and be aware of family history and genetic risk factors. "Having a sedentary lifestyle, in other words, being a couch potato, is a risk factor," he warned. Regular physical activity, a diet rich in whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, and limiting risky foods can all help reduce the likelihood of developing colorectal cancer.
Screening remains a cornerstone of prevention. Regular fecal occult blood tests and colonoscopies can detect precancerous polyps before they become cancerous, and guidelines have already helped reduce rates among those over 50. Still, as the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer notes, participation in screening remains below the national target of 60 percent, and younger adults with symptoms or family history are often overlooked.
Both Stein and Scheller highlight the importance of advocating for oneself in the healthcare system. Symptoms such as unexplained changes in bowel habits, blood in the stool, persistent abdominal pain, unexplained weight loss, or fatigue should never be ignored, even in the absence of known risk factors. "Your age and genetic history of your family are risk factors that you can’t control," Stein said. "The goal is to focus on what can be controlled, like eating healthier foods and exercising." Prevention, he added, "is so much easier than treatment." Or, as he put it more bluntly: "All you have to do is get a kit, poop in your toilet, send it to the lab with a little stick and you find out if it’s positive. If there is a polyp, they remove it and you catch the cancer early. Otherwise, you go through what I went through, which is quite challenging, to say the least. And at worst, people die."
With increased awareness, shifting guidelines, and the courage of survivors sharing their stories, the hope is that more lives will be saved, and the stigma and silence around colorectal cancer will finally be broken.