HealthlineDoctors Thought Her Symptoms Were Pregnancy-Related. It Was Colon Cancer

Colorectal cancer has surpassed breast and lung cancer as the leading cause of cancer-related death in US adults under 50, per a January 2026 JAMA study. A 36-year-old patient’s rectal bleeding was attributed to pregnancy hemorrhoids for months before a colonoscopy revealed stage IV colon cancer, a pattern physicians say is increasingly common.

🩺 Patient Counseling Points

• Three out of four adults under 50 are diagnosed with advanced disease because no screening guidelines exist below age 45, leaving symptomatic pregnant patients especially vulnerable
• Rectal bleeding during pregnancy warrants active investigation, not reflexive attribution to hemorrhoids, particularly with concurrent bowel habit changes or unexplained weight loss
• A blood-based early detection test showing 90% accuracy for young-onset colorectal cancer is in development at City of Hope, though not yet publicly available

⚡ Patient Care Applications

• Document rectal bleeding reports from pregnant patients with follow-up plans beyond the postpartum visit
• Refer patients under 50 with persistent rectal bleeding for colonoscopy regardless of pregnancy status
• Counsel obstetric patients that hemorrhoid attribution should not preclude further workup if symptoms persist postpartum
• Flag bowel habit changes, unexplained weight loss, or rectal bleeding as symptoms warranting gastroenterology consultation

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