Colon Cancer: Should Young People Worry?
3/19/202641 min
Colorectal cancer has long been thought of as a disease of older folks. But that's changing — fast. Rates in older people are actually going down, and more and more people under 50 are getting this disease. And a surprising number of them are dying from it. So what’s going on here? We dig into why young people are getting hit harder. Plus, we often hear that you should watch out for changes in your poo. But what changes?? We’ll find out. We talk to gastrointestinal medical oncologist Dr. Michael Foote and cancer biologist Prof. Ludmil Alexandrov. Find our transcript here: https://tinyurl.com/ScienceVsColonCancer In this episode, we cover: (00:00) Becca’s story (05:52) What the rise looks like (09:06) Is there something different about this cancer? (14:13) What symptoms to look out for (17:41) Why is this happening? (21:34) The hunt for explanations This episode was produced by Michelle Dang, with help from Rose Rimler, Meryl Horn and Ekedi Fausther-Keeys. Wendy Zukerman is our executive producer. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Erica Akiko-Howard. Mix and sound design by Bobby Lord and Bumi Hidaka. Music written by Bobby Lord, Bumi Hidaka, So Wylie, Emma Munger and Peter Leonard. And thank you to Prof. Caitlin Murphy. Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Transcript preview
First 90 secondsMichelle Dang· Host0:00
Hi, I'm Michelle Dang, and I'm filling in for Wendy Zuckerman this week. [upbeat music] And to start off today's episode, I want you to meet Becca Lynch. Becca lives in Colorado with her dog. She's 30 years old now, but throughout her 20s, she was leading a pretty hectic life.
Becca Lynch· Guest0:17
Kind of have always been pretty, like, full steam ahead. I've, I've never been, like, comfortable not being busy.
Michelle Dang· Host0:26
She was getting her master's, growing her career, and being super active.
Becca Lynch· Guest0:31
I go, like, climbing. I go to the gym. I was running a lot. I did a half-marathon in 2024.
Michelle Dang· Host0:39
Playing live music.
Becca Lynch· Guest0:40
Yeah, I have a little duo with a friend of mine that we play around town sometimes.
Michelle Dang· Host0:45
But a couple of years ago, when Becca was 28, she noticed a change in her body, specifically in one area, the poo department. She noticed she was going number two more often, like five to six times a day, and it wasn't just that. There were a couple weird things she saw in these frequent poos, and fair warning, we're about to get a bit detailed here. So for one thing, there was blood.
Becca Lynch· Guest1:11
It was like a dark, almost mucusy, kind of thicker, bloody substance that was everywhere, like, when I was going to the bathroom, um, and it was every single time.
Michelle Dang· Host1:23
And the other thing she noticed is that her poo started to take on a different shape than usual.
Becca Lynch· Guest1:29
Like, thinner