Surgeons Name Five Key Symptoms of Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer has become significantly more common among younger adults over the past three decades. While in the 1990s one in ten cases was diagnosed in people under the age of 54, today that figure has risen to one in five. The American College of Surgeons (ACS) has identified five warning signs that should prompt young people to seek medical attention without delay.

Data presented at the ACS Clinical Congress 2025 show that rectal bleeding increases the likelihood of a colorectal cancer diagnosis by 8.5 times. However, many young patients—and even their doctors—often attribute this symptom to hemorrhoids and fail to order further diagnostic tests.

For the first time, colorectal cancer has become the leading cause of cancer-related death among people under the age of 50, surpassing both breast and lung cancer in this age group. Marilis Boutros, a colorectal surgeon and Vice Chair of Digestive Disease Research at Cleveland Clinic Florida, urges young adults not to ignore the following warning signs.

The first is a persistent change in bowel habits, such as diarrhea or constipation lasting more than a few weeks without an obvious cause. The second is rectal bleeding or blood in the stool, whether bright red or dark and mixed with the stool. The third is a change in the shape, color, or consistency of the stool; ribbon-like stools may indicate a narrowing or obstruction in the bowel. The fourth is unexplained weight loss accompanied by persistent fatigue and anemia. The fifth is a family history of colorectal cancer or colorectal polyps in close relatives, which significantly increases an individual's risk.

Routine colorectal cancer screening typically begins at age 45. However, anyone experiencing one or more of these symptoms at any age should undergo a colonoscopy, the gold standard for diagnosing colorectal cancer.

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