Colorectal cancer, once considered a condition affecting primarily those over the age of 50, is no longer limited to aging adults. The disease is increasingly affecting younger adults—millennials and even members of Gen Z. A report by American Cancer Society reveals that every generation of people born after 1950 is experiencing a higher risk of colorectal cancer, a trend that has left researchers and medical professionals stunned.

The disease, which includes both colon and rectal cancers, is growing most rapidly in adults 20 to 39 years old, with a 2% average annual rate of increase in incidence since the mid-1990s. This epidemiologic transition is causing legitimate public health alarms—and at the core of the crisis is an alarming fact: the most likely symptom of colon cancer is one that many will be too ashamed to discuss.

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Colon Cancer: One Symptom That Should Never Be Ignored

In a 2024 study by Joshua Demb, assistant professor and researcher of early-onset colon cancer at the University of California, San Diego, rectal bleeding was the most specific and common early symptom in young adults with colorectal cancer. And yet, it's the one that many people—particularly millennials—are least likely to mention.

Through his interviews with patients, Demb discovered a shared pattern- patients held off on coming in for care because they were embarrassed to discuss "poop" or blood in their stool. This resistance is not anecdotal alone—it is a deeper cultural taboo dating back centuries, especially in Western cultures where bathroom behavior has always been tainted by shame.

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Blowing off blood in the toilet or denying pencil-thin stools as benign gastrointestinal problems might cost lives. "When young adults finally come forward, their cancer has usually advanced beyond it should have," Demb said. "Shame about bowel movements can add to delay in diagnosis in a disease where timing is everything."

Colon Cancer: Why Young People Are at Greater Risk?

Although colorectal cancer is still a slow-growing cancer, specialists caution that its increase among young adults may be the result of both genetic susceptibility and lifestyle choices.

Dietary patterns including high consumption of red and processed meats, low fiber intake, physical inactivity, increased prevalence of obesity, and higher alcohol and tobacco consumption are all potential drivers of this trend. The World Cancer Research Fund suggests aiming for less than 18 oz per week of red meat and focusing on a high-fiber, plant-based diet to lower the risk of colorectal cancer.

"We're observing increasingly urbanized, digitally connected young patients with rapid food intake, extended sitting times, and minimal physical activity," says Dr. Maria Ellis, an oncologist who specializes in gastrointestinal cancers. "These habits likely lead to inflammation and alterations in the gut microbiome, all conducive to the initiation of early tumors."

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The Challenges with Current Screening Guidelines

One of the largest updates to solving this health crisis is screening age eligibility. Routine colonoscopies are suggested beginning at age 45 to 50 in most countries, including the U.S. But if the demographic that is growing quickest is under 40, this model is already outdated.

Even when young adults come with typical presentations—chronic abdominal pain, change in bowel habits, or bleeding per rectum—the suspicion of cancer is usually ignored by patients and doctors. Colonoscopies are painful, costly (several thousand dollars without insurance), and seldom prescribed for individuals in their twenties or early thirties unless there is a family history.

"There's still a lingering thought among primary care doctors that cancer is an 'older person's disease,'" says Dr. Ellis. "That results in young patients being misdiagnosed with hemorrhoids, irritable bowel syndrome, or anxiety-related gastrointestinal issues."

Colon Cancer: Psychological Burden on Young Adults

For young adults and adolescents (AYA), a cancer diagnosis disrupts not only health, but also identity, education, relationships, and planning for the future. A 2025 study presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) identified four core areas of support lacking in AYA cancer treatment: academic accommodations, loss of extracurricular activities, disruption of career trajectory, and loss of peer affiliation.

This age group is typically just starting out in their adult lives—beginning careers, dating, or establishing families. Stigma of "poop talk" creates another layer of loneliness and humiliation, compounding the delay in diagnosis and treatment.

How to Identify a Red Flag in Colon Cancer?

Many of the initial symptoms of colon cancer will look like other diseases like celiac disease, irritable bowel syndrome, or hemorrhoids. But the most important clue to look for is a change from your usual pattern of digestion. If your bowels suddenly change—and remain changed—it's time to see a doctor.

Other signs include:

• Rectal bleeding
• Unexplained abdominal pain
• Chronic diarrhea or constipation
• Pencil-thin stools
• Fatigue or unexpected weight loss

Young adults should not be afraid to speak up for themselves in doctor's offices, even when they do not have a family history of cancer. A second opinion, particularly in the case of a persistent symptom, can be the difference between life and death.

Why Talking About Stool Could Be Life-Saving?

The cultural shame of defecation runs deep—but it's time to break it. Public health initiatives need to incorporate plain language that de-stigmatizes important bodily functions. As Dr. Demb says, "Normalizing conversations about poop isn't just cute or quirky—it's a serious tool in cancer prevention."

Parents, teachers, influencers, and physicians need to all join together in promoting a culture that favors openness regarding gut health. Vocabulary such as "stool" or "rectal bleeding" should not be masked in euphemisms. Millennials, the group that has spearheaded mental health activism and sexual health education, are perfectly placed to help break down this barrier.

Millennials are confronted with an unprecedented health threat that calls for urgency, awareness, and action. Early-onset colon cancer is not only a health problem—it's a cultural one, driven by stigma, misinformation, and outdated screening practices.

One child in India dies every nine minutes from an infection caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria, as it becomes one of the top 10 global public health threats, experts warn.

Dr HB Veena Kumari of the Department of Neuromicrobiology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, claims: "The Covid-19 pandemic has significantly contributed to rising antimicrobial resistance. The World Health Organisation projects that 10 million deaths will occur annually by 2025."

According to the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, antibiotic resistance occurs when bacteria in the body learns to withstand and remain unaffected by the medicines (antibiotics) meant to kill them.

In such cases, doctors have to switch to different antibiotics, but these backup medicines might not work as well or might cause more side effects. Additionally, infections may also worsen over time as bacteria can become resistant to all available drugs.

Alarmingly is that these tough, drug-resistant bacteria can spread from one person to another, both in hospitals and at home.

According to Dr TS Balganesh, Gangagen Biotechnologies, nearly 36 percent of haemodialysis patients die from fatal infections, which is second only to cardiovascular diseases as a cause of death.

He tells Deccan Herald: "The risk for infective endocarditis in haemodialysis patients is approximately 18 times higher than in the general population and up to 58 percent of these episodes are caused by a bacteria named 'S aureus', with an in-hospital mortality of more than 50 percent."

What Does WHO Say?

One out of every six serious infections confirmed in labs worldwide last year could not be killed by the antibiotics meant to treat them.

Between 2018 and 2023, the problem of antibiotics failing (called resistance) got much worse. For many common types of germs, resistance went up by 5% to 15% every year. The growing inability of these essential medicines to work is a huge threat to people everywhere.

Which Antibiotics Are People Becoming Resistant To?

The WHO's latest report is the most detailed look yet at this issue. It reports on how much resistance exists across 22 different antibiotics, which include common drugs used to treat everyday illnesses. The report focused on eight common types of bacteria that cause things like:

• Urinary tract infections (UTIs)
• Stomach and intestinal infections
• Dangerous blood infections
• Gonorrhoea

Additionally, Dr Obaidur Rahman of Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital has also warned that the country’s casual use of Azithromycin, sold under brand names such as Zithromax, Azee and Zmax, has worsened its effectiveness and pushed India closer to a major public health challenge.

A drug often prescribed for sore throats and upper respiratory tract infections, Dr Rahman noted that Azithromycin was once effective against Mycoplasma Pneumonia, a bacterium responsible for pneumonia in adults and children.

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However, this is no longer the case as India now shows an alarming 80 to 90 percent resistance to the drug when treating infections caused by this bacterium. A medicine that once addressed a wide range of respiratory problems is no longer reliable for many patients.

The surgeon has since urged people to avoid taking antibiotics without proper medical advice. Most seasonal respiratory infections resolve on their own, and unnecessary drugs only add to the resistance problem.

Supreme Court on Friday declared the right to menstrual health as part of the right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution. The court issued a slew of directions to ensure that every school provides biodegradable sanitary napkins free of cost to adolescent girls. The guidelines also ensured that schools must be equipped with functional and hygienic gender-segregated toilets. The Court directed the pan-India implementation of the Union's national policy, 'Menstrual Hygiene Policy for School-going Girls' in schools for adolescent girl children from Classes 6-12.

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Supreme Court Declares Menstrual Hygiene As Part Of Right To Life: Here Are the Directions

A bench comprising Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice R Mahadevan passed the following directions:

• All States/UT must ensure that every school, whether government-run or privately managed, in both urban and rural areas, is provided with functional gender segregated toilets with usable water connectivity.
• All existing or newly constructed toilets in schools shall be designed, constructed and maintained to ensure privacy and accessibility, including by catering to needs of children with disabilities.
• All school toilets must be equipped with functional washing facilities and soap and water available at all times.
• All states/UTs must ensure that every school, whether government-run or privately managed, in both urban and rural areas, provide oxo-biodegradable sanitary napkins manufactured in compliance with the ASTM D-6954 standards free of cost. Such sanitary napkins must be made readily accessible to girl students, preferably within toilet premises through sanitary napkin vending machines or, where not visible, at a designated place.
• All States/UTs must ensure that every school, whether government-run or privately managed, in both urban and rural areas establish menstrual hygiene management corners. It must be equipped with spare innerwears, uniforms, disposable pads and other necessary materials to address menstrual urgency.

The court also issued directions for the disposal of sanitary waste. Justice Pardiwala said, "This pronouncement is not just for stakeholders of the legal system. It is also meant for classrooms where girls hesitate to ask for help. It is for teachers who want to help but are restrained due to a lack of resources. And it is for parents who may not realise the impact of their silence and for society to establish its progress as a measure in how we protect the most vulnerable. We wish to communicate to every girlchild who may have become a victim of absenteeism because her body was perceived as a burden when the fault is not hers."

Read: Menstrual Cups To Replace Sanitary Napkins In Karnataka Government Schools

Why Is This Judgment So Important?

In India, menstruation is still seen as taboo. In fact, there is a lot of shame around it. Menstrual shame is the deeply internalized stigma, embarrassment, and negative perception surrounding menstruation, which causes individuals to feel unclean, or "less than" for a natural biological process. This judgment thus is an effort to do away with the shame rooted in cultural, social, and religious taboos, which is often the reason why many girls drop out, or due to lack of awareness, develop health adversities.

Most health videos on YouTube, even those made by doctors are also not reliable medical information, found a new study, published in JAMA Network Open. The researchers reviewed 309 popular YouTube videos on cancer and diabetes and found that fewer than 1 in 5 were supported by high quality scientific evidence. About two-thirds of the view had low, very low or no evidence at all to back up their health claims.

What was more concerning is that weaker evidence often attracted more viewer than those backed with strong science. The study looked at videos which had at least 10,000 views. The lead author of the study Dr EunKyo Kang of South Korea's National Cancer Center, said, "This reveals a substantial credibility-evidence gap in medical content videos, where physician authority frequently legitimizes claims lacking robust empirical support."

"Our findings underscore the necessity for evidence-based content-creation guidelines, enhanced science communication training for health care professionals, and algorithmic reforms prioritizing scientific rigor alongside engagement metrics," Kang added in a news release.

How Was The Study Conducted?

The researchers reviewed videos from June 20 and 21, 2025, focusing on cancer and diabetes content. 75 per cent of them were made by physicians. The videos had a median count of 164,000 views and a median length of 19 minutes.

Researchers also developed a scoring system, called E-GRADE to rate the strength of science backed evidence in each video's claim.

This is how the grading system worked:

• GRADE A: high quality evidence
• GRADE B: standard quality evidence
• GRADE C: low quality evidence
• GRADE D: very low or no evidence

What Were The Results Of The Medical Videos?

• GRADE A: 19.7%
• GRABE B: 14.6%
• GRADE C: 3.2%
• GRADE D: 62.5%

The study also found that videos with the weakest evidence were 35% more likely to get higher views than videos with strong scientific evidence.

Richard Saver, a professor of law at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill noted that this issue is not just limited to YouTube. "Physician-spread misinformation is a long-standing problem, dating back well before the internet era," he wrote in an accompanying editorial.

Saver said some doctors continue to lean on personal experience rather than solid data, despite evidence-based medicine being regarded as the gold standard. He noted that EBM can feel like it downplays individual clinical judgment. Still, Saver stressed that more research is needed, adding that the study underscores the importance of examining the evidence behind health professionals’ claims on social media.

How Health And Me Has Helped With Medical Facts

Health and Me has always stayed a step ahead from medical misinformation and ensured that its readers too consume correct information. Health and Me's Fact Check series have consistently ran checks on bizarre medical claims, whether it is about a magical potion for weight loss, fake health news, or un-scientific remedies.

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