Not Too Young for Cancer

Colorectal cancer is rising in younger adults and screening guidelines are based on population averages, not individual experiences.

In this episode, Kathryn shares her personal experience with stage 4 colon cancer and why awareness, early detection, and self-advocacy matter more than ever.

Kathryn speaks openly about the symptoms she experienced, the importance of trusting your body, and how to advocate for further testing if you’re younger than the recommended screening age.

Whether you are living with cancer, supporting someone who is, or simply want to understand the signs and risk factors, this episode will empower you to listen to your body and take action when something doesn’t feel right.

Awareness can save lives.

In This Episode You’ll Learn

• Why colorectal cancer diagnoses are increasing in younger adults
 • The symptoms that should never be ignored
 • What “persistent symptoms” really means
 • Why screening guidelines don’t apply equally to everyone
 • How to advocate for yourself when doctors suggest “wait and see”
 • What caregivers should watch for in loved ones
 • How early detection can change outcomes

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Transcript

[00:00:00] Kathryn: Welcome to The Living to Thrive with Cancer podcast. I'm Kathryn White Cancer coach, stage four colon cancer thriver, and the author of Living to Thrive, A holistic guide to living with Cancer and someone who has walked this path from shock and fear to strength and purpose. If you are new here, I want to welcome you to the Living to Thrive with Cancer Podcast.

[00:00:21] Kathryn: This is a place for anyone who is living with cancer. Whether you are newly diagnosed, going through the treatment process, or learning how to relive your life after cancer, this is also a space for caregivers to come and learn more about how to support their loved one. The mission here is to help you move from survivor to thriver.

[00:00:40] Kathryn: One intentional action at a time. Today's episode is deeply personal for me. We are talking about colorectal cancer awareness screening and what to do when you are told that you are too young to have cancer, but you know that something isn't right in your body and you just wanna get help. But here's the truth.

[00:01:02] Kathryn: I was too young for the guidelines, and yet I had stage four colon cancer at 43 years old. So let's talk about it. When I first started having symptoms, they were subtle. A little pain on my side, a little bit of discomfort in my abdomen, some cramping changes to my bowel movements, and then it started to escalate into fatigue and exhaustion and just a constant pain that wouldn't go away.

[00:01:31] Kathryn: These things could have easily been dismissed. Easy to explain away. And honestly, I did exactly what many of us do. I justified the things I was feeling. I minimized them. I rationalized them. I told myself I was busy, I was stressed. Maybe it was my hormones. I told myself I was too young. And when you are younger than the screening age, sometimes the system can reinforce that belief and dismiss your concerns.

[00:02:01] Kathryn: Because I was only 43 years old, I wasn't on anyone's radar. And even when I expressed my concerns, my doctor told me that I was too young. But again, cancer doesn't care how old you are and it doesn't read the screening guidelines. The truth is that we are seeing more and more young adults being diagnosed with colorectal cancer.

[00:02:24] Kathryn: This is not rare anymore. It is on the rise. I often think back to those early appointments when I was describing my symptoms and all I wanted was reassurance, and I remember feeling that subtle undercurrent of, it's probably nothing but what if it's not nothing? And that's the question that matters.

[00:02:45] Kathryn: Let's talk plainly here about symptoms, because this is where awareness begins. Some of the common signs of colorectal cancer include persistent changes in your bowel habits like diarrhea, constipation, or narrowing stools, blood in the stool that's bright red or dark, ongoing abdominal discomfort like cramps or gas or pain.

[00:03:09] Kathryn: A feeling like your bowel doesn't empty completely, like you just always have more inside of you. Unexplained weight loss, ongoing fatigue and iron deficiency anemia. But here's the tricky part, is that many of these symptoms overlap with other diseases like IBS, hemorrhoids, stress and diet changes. So the key word here is persistent.

[00:03:34] Kathryn: Not once in a while, not here and there, but persistent changes. If your body feels different in a way that lingers, that is information, and your body is whispering to you that something is wrong and you need to get it checked. Mine whispered to me, but I didn't know how to listen to it, and I didn't know how to use my voice when I was told that I was too young right now, guidelines in many places suggest starting screening at 50 years old.

[00:04:04] Kathryn: Countries like the United States and Australia have already lowered their screening age to 45. And here in Canada, we are trying to reach that same screening age of 45 years old. But what if you are younger than 45? What if you're 32 or 41 or 43 like I was. What if you don't qualify, but something feels off?

[00:04:26] Kathryn: This is where self-advocacy becomes critical because screening guidelines are population based. They're averages, they're not personal guarantees. You are not a statistic. You are an individual. If you have persistent symptoms, a family history of colorectal cancer or polyps, a personal history of inflammatory bowel disease, or simply a gut feeling that something is wrong.

[00:04:52] Kathryn: You can ask for further evaluation, and yes, sometimes you will have to ask more than once. I know I did. Self-advocacy is not about being aggressive. It's not about being confrontational. It's about being clear and persistent. So here's what it can look like. Start by documenting your symptoms. Write down what you're experiencing, how long it's been happening, and how it's impacting your life.

[00:05:19] Kathryn: Be specific in appointments instead of saying, I don't feel great, say I've had rectal bleeding for six weeks. My bowel habits have changed for two months. I've had unexplained fatigue and abdominal pain. Ask direct questions. Could this be something more serious? Would a colonoscopy be appropriate? If not, what is your plan if symptoms continue request testing.

[00:05:44] Kathryn: If symptoms persist, if you're told to wait and see, ask How long should I wait? What would be the next step? If this doesn't improve, get a second opinion. You are allowed to do this. You are not disloyal. You are protecting your health. I want you to hear this clearly. I. You are not difficult for asking questions.

[00:06:08] Kathryn: You are not dramatic for wanting answers. You are not wasting anyone's time. By advocating for yourself, your life is worth a conversation. There is a very significant emotional side to all of this. When you're diagnosed young, there can be anger, shock, a sense of betrayal. You may think, how did this happen?

[00:06:31] Kathryn: Why didn't someone catch this earlier? I was healthy. I lived a healthy lifestyle. I felt those waves. I've had those thoughts, and here's what I've learned in my own walk with cancer. Healing isn't only about the physical body, it's also about how we process what is happening and what is happened. Part of thriving is choosing to use your story and to not stay stuck in bitterness, but to create awareness.

[00:06:59] Kathryn: If you have been diagnosed with colorectal cancer, you can use your voice to help other people, much like I am doing here to understand that this is not something we can ignore, and nobody should tell you that you are too young. That's why I talk about this openly. If my story encourages one person to do the fit test that comes in the mail and send it back in, instead of throwing it in the garbage, if it encourages one person to push for a colonoscopy, if one person listens to their body sooner, if one caregiver recognizes symptoms that maybe the person that's having the symptoms is ignoring because they're afraid this matters.

[00:07:42] Kathryn: Using your voice and taking care of yourself is so important. So let's talk briefly here about screening. The gold standard in screening for colorectal cancer is a colonoscopy. It allows doctors to visualize the colonoscopy. Go inside, take a look around, find polyps if there are any in existence, and remove them.

[00:08:03] Kathryn: There's also what I already mentioned, the FIT test, that stool-based screening test that looks microscopically inside of your stool sample. All you have to do is open the kit, do the test, and mail it in, and again, if you have symptoms. Do not let a negative stool test discourage you from moving forward.

[00:08:25] Kathryn: Take your test results. Go to your doctor and tell them that you want more. If you are a caregiver listening today, I wanna speak to you directly. When a person starts to experience symptoms in their body, it can be overwhelming and it can be very, very scary, and it can also cause you to just ignore them.

[00:08:47] Kathryn: Because if I just ignore them, maybe they will just get better, is often the thought. The person experiencing the symptoms may just minimize them in the hope that they go away, encourage appointments, offer to attend, help them track their symptoms. Ask questions. You are not overstepping by caring. If your loved one is younger than the screening age, that doesn't make them immune.

[00:09:14] Speaker: Trust what you are seeing. I know that talking about colorectal cancer, talking about the rates of increasing colorectal cancer and talking about screening can feel a little bit scary and a little bit heavy. But here's what I wanna leave you with. Screening is empowerment. Advocacy is empowerment. Early detection is empowerment.

[00:09:37] Kathryn: Fear keeps us silent, but empowerment helps us to act. When I look back, I can't change my diagnosis story, but I can change how I use it. I used my experience to build a health building lifestyle to manage stress differently, to nourish my body differently. To believe deeply that statistics do not determine my outcome.

[00:10:01] Kathryn: And I use this to tell you that you can trust yourself. You can ask questions, you can take up space in a medical system that sometimes feels rushed. You can do this if you are experiencing symptoms. Book the appointment. If you've been putting it off, schedule the screening. If you were told you were too young, ask again.

[00:10:25] Kathryn: And if you're navigating. Diagnosis, treatment or survivorship, and are looking for structured support to create a life of thriving with cancer. I'd like to invite you to join me inside the Cancer Thriver Pathway. This is where we go beyond appointments and lab results. We focus on building a health supporting lifestyle.

[00:10:44] Kathryn: Managing stress and fear, strengthening self-advocacy and creating daily practices to help you move from surviving to thriving. You don't have to figure this out alone. You can schedule a free consult call with me. We'll talk about where you are, what you need, and whether the cancer thriver pathway is right for you or not.

[00:11:02] Kathryn: And if you haven't yet, download my free resource Managing Cancer in Everyday Life. You can find the links in the show notes. Colorectal cancer is rising in young adults. Awareness matters. Screening matters. Self-advocacy matters, and your voice and your instincts, they also matter. Remember this, you are not your diagnosis.

[00:11:26] Kathryn: You are not too young, and you are not overreacting. You are worthy of answers, care, and thriving. And just remember that thriving isn't about perfection. It's about showing up for yourself. One appointment, one question, and one empowered step at a time.