At just 24 years old, Paige Seifert, an engineer from Denver, received a diagnosis that upended her life: stage three bowel cancer. This shattered her assumption that she was "too young" for a disease commonly linked to older adults. Now 25 and declared cancer-free, Seifert is raising her voice to alert others, emphasizing that the symptoms she once dismissed were far from harmless.
The Alarming Rise of Colorectal Cancer in the Young
Seifert's personal ordeal coincides with a growing concern in the medical community. Oncologists worldwide are alarmed by a sharp increase in colorectal cancer rates among people under 50 over the past decade. This troubling trend has led to urgent calls for greater symptom awareness, moving beyond the outdated reassurance based solely on age.
For Seifert, the cancer was discovered only after months of worsening symptoms. A colonoscopy finally revealed a large tumour that had already spread beyond her bowel wall. Further scans confirmed it was stage three disease, meaning the cancer had begun to spread to nearby lymph nodes. The survival statistics underscore the severity: while stage one bowel cancer has a five-year survival rate of about 90%, this plummets to roughly 65% by stage three and to a mere 10% at stage four.
The Life-Altering Diagnosis and Grueling Treatment
Seifert describes the moment her world turned upside down. Waking from her colonoscopy to hear the results was overwhelming. "I just felt sick to my stomach. It was a feeling that I have never felt in my life," she recalled. "My mind immediately went: 'Am I going to die?' It was a horrible feeling."
Her path to remission was arduous. Seifert endured 12 rounds of chemotherapy followed by major surgery. Her resilience paid off, and she is now in remission, as reported by The Daily Mail.
The Three Critical Symptoms She Overlooked
Reflecting on her experience, Seifert highlights three key symptoms that she initially brushed aside, which doctors urge everyone to take seriously.
Blood in the Stool: The first red flag appeared in August when Seifert noticed bleeding during bowel movements. She, and initially her doctor, attributed it to haemorrhoids. By January 2025, seeking certainty, she consulted a gastroenterologist. The colonoscopy told a different story. Blood in stool is a primary sign of colon cancer, indicating bleeding within the intestinal tract or rectum.
Persistent Stomach Pain and Discomfort: Seifert also experienced intermittent abdominal pain that felt unusual but not severe enough to sound a major alarm.
Extreme, Unexplained Fatigue: Profound tiredness, which can be caused by anemia or digestive upset, was another persistent symptom she endured.
Investigating the Cause of the Surge in Young Adults
Globally, incidence rates of colorectal cancer in the under-50 demographic are climbing steadily, even as overall screening and survival improve. It is the third most diagnosed cancer and the third leading cause of cancer death in both men and women. The American Cancer Society (ACS) estimates a staggering 154,000 new colorectal cancer cases will be diagnosed in the USA in 2025 alone.
Scientists are probing multiple potential factors behind this rise. These include early-life exposure to pathogens like E. coli, diets high in ultra-processed foods, microplastics, chemicals from food packaging, and lifestyle factors that may cause "accelerated ageing." However, experts caution that no single cause has been definitively confirmed, and research is actively ongoing.
Note: The information provided in this article is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional for any health concerns or before making changes to your treatment or diet.
