TARPON SPRINGS, Fla. — Doctors are warning younger adults to get screened for colon cancer. Cases in young people have increased by about 2% a year, according to the American Cancer Society.
At just 26 years old, Kylie Patterson is already facing an uphill battle.
Before she could even make it to a gastroenterologist, she ended up in the ER.
“They thought, oh, she’s got ulcerative colitis or IBS, but they found whenever they did a colonoscopy that it was stage 4 colorectal cancer that had spread quite significantly,” Patterson said.
It’s a worst-case scenario—she now gets chemo every two weeks. For about a year, Patterson experienced symptoms she thought were IBS or Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
“I think that’s why I went misdiagnosed for so long because I was misdiagnosed as having ulcerative colitis multiple times,” said Patterson.
“When somebody comes in with these symptoms, and they are older in age, colorectal cancer is at the top of our mind to look into,” said Dr. Brett Armstrong, a general surgeon at AdventHealth North Pinellas. “But, when you’re younger, things like IBS are a higher risk, so we’re thinking more about those types of things.”
But that’s changing, according to Dr. Armstrong. He’s also the Director of Robotics at the hospital.
“The median age for colorectal cancer is still around 66 years old, but the incidents that we’re seeing in younger and younger people is increasing about 2% a year,” he said. “So, roughly 12-15% of cases we have of colorectal cancer are now in younger people than expected. “
There’s no clear answer to why. Symptoms of colorectal cancer may include a change in bowel habits, blood in your stool, or constant abdominal pain, aches or cramps.
“If you have any symptoms that persist longer than two weeks, I’m talking about any symptoms at all, go see a doctor,” said Patterson.
Dr. Armstrong said symptoms don’t always show up right away or at all, which is why a colonoscopy every 10 years starting at age 45 is so crucial. If you have a family member with colorectal cancer, you should start your screenings a few years prior to the age they were diagnosed.
“They start as tiny little polyps. When we can find those early, we can take them out with the colonoscopy, and you’re done,” said Dr. Armstrong. “But, when we don’t find them early, they grow, they become a cancer.”
Dr. Armstrong said despite the stigma, a colonoscopy is an easy procedure, and if you need one, he says schedule now — because the Tampa Bay area doesn’t have enough gastroenterologists, which means the time between making an appointment and getting the procedure could be six months or more.
Saturday, March 3rd, is the “Check Your Oil” event, with classic cars filling the parking lot of Advent Health North Pinellas. It’s also where you can learn more about colon cancer and screenings. It’s from 1 to 4 p.m. at 1395 South Pinellas Ave., Tarpon Springs.
