BKReader⁠56%

Colon Cancer is Rising in Younger Adults. Here's What People Under 50 Should Know. ⁠75%

By Julie Yang⁠89%

7/31/2026, 7:10:43 AM

BS Summary: This article contains 29 faulty reasoning types, including Optimism Bias, Appeal to Emotion, and Indoctrination, with Ambiguity (Equivocation) as the most egregious example at 23.9% saturation with 165 hits. Analysis detected 1,459 faulty-reasoning hits from 690 analyzed words, generating a BS Score of 58% and a BS Rank of ⁠75% (7,908 of 30,584 articles). This article is worse (more manipulative) than 74.10% of the article peer group.

Lately, everyone is speculating about the rising incidence of colon cancer. 
Speaking as a gastroenterologist, it's true that the alarm is on in our field. 
But what exactly do we mean when we say the disease is on the rise, and why? 
The past few decades have seen astonishing progress, but the reality is emerging that this progress is becoming more and more disparate across age groups. 
Incidence and mortality is declining in adults over 65, but more people under 65 are being diagnosed with and dying from colorectal cancer. 
It's the second most common cause of cancer death in all age groups, but it is the most common cause of cancer death for people under 50. 
We're finding that, unlike most other diseases, youth isn't on your side when it comes to assessing your risk. 
If you were born in the 1990s, your overall risk for colorectal cancer is 50% higher than people who were born before that time—regardless of hereditary and genetic factors. 
Rates of colon cancer among people aged 20 to 39 are projected to increase by 90% percent by 2030. 
This trend is not well understood, even among doctors and researchers. 
Diet, environmental factors, activity level, alcohol and tobacco use, and other factors have all been linked to colon cancer, but do not explain the uptick in younger people while older people face better prospects than ever before. 
What we do understand is that there are layers of protection we possess in the fight against colon cancer mortality, and we need to be using them fully. 
One thing that can partially explain why older people may face better outcomes is their eligibility and stronger adherence to regular screening, when you're most likely to catch it at an early or even precancerous stage. 
Among those diagnosed under age 50, roughly three-quarters are diagnosed when the disease reaches a late stage. 
In response to this health crisis, the American Cancer Society and the U.S. 
Preventive Services Task Force recommends that adults with no additional risk factors should begin receiving regular screenings at age 45. 
During a colonoscopy, doctors check for abnormalities in colon and rectal tissue; they can also identify polyps in a precancerous state, the main cause of colon cancer. 
With regular screening, many cases of colorectal cancer are preventable, and can be caught before reaching even Stage 1. 
It's true the preparation is not the most pleasant experience, but once you're in for the procedure, it's over before you know it. 
For eligible patients, stool DNA tests are a reliable first line of defense that offer a little less intimidation. 
Unfortunately, greater rates of colon cancer in young people, while still rare, may be the new norm. 
So as we move ahead, we have to ensure that public health measures to combat the effects of this trend are also the new norm. 
Start getting tested regularly at 45. 
If you are aware of a relative who was diagnosed with colorectal cancer, especially before age 65, talk to your doctor about whether you need to begin screening at a younger age. 
If you have a positive stool test, get a timely colonoscopy to receive more definitive results. 
Decrease your risk by minimizing alcohol consumption, ceasing tobacco use, maintaining a healthy BMI, exercising regularly, consuming minimal processed and red meats, and eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and high-fiber foods. 
Know the signs that could indicate colorectal cancer: abdominal pain, changes in bowel movements, blood in the stool, unexplained weight loss, iron-deficiency anemia and fatigue. 
And if you've been diagnosed or fear you could have colon cancer, don't panic. 
Cancer treatments are more advanced than ever, and the majority of patients with this disease survive it. 
When caught at an early stage and with appropriate treatment, the survival rate is over 90%. 
Let's spread knowledge rather than fear, and make sure everyone is taking the steps needed to prevent colon cancer and catch it early. 
Julie Yang, MD, FASGE, FACG, NYSGEF, is the director of Comprehensive Gastrointestinal Cancer Program at Maimonides Medical Center. 
Article reasoning-pattern comparisonThis article: 5.4%Julie Yang: 1.3%BKReader: 2.2%Confirmation Bias5.4%This article: 8.8%Julie Yang: 3.9%BKReader: 0.8%Anchoring Bias8.8%This article: 9.9%Julie Yang: 2.9%BKReader: 2.2%Availability Heuristic9.9%This article: 7.8%Julie Yang: 2.0%BKReader: 0.5%Representativeness Heuristic7.8%This article: 0.0%Julie Yang: 0.0%BKReader: 0.1%Hindsight Bias0.0%This article: 6.4%Julie Yang: 3.8%BKReader: 0.7%Overconfidence Bias6.4%This article: 11.9%Julie Yang: 5.5%BKReader: 6.6%Framing Effect11.9%This article: 2.3%Julie Yang: 0.6%BKReader: 1.0%Loss Aversion2.3%This article: 3.6%Julie Yang: 0.9%BKReader: 1.1%Status Quo Bias3.6%This article: 0.0%Julie Yang: 0.0%BKReader: 0.0%Sunk Cost Effect0.0%This article: 16.8%Julie Yang: 8.2%BKReader: 5.9%Optimism Bias16.8%This article: 7.2%Julie Yang: 3.4%BKReader: 1.0%Pessimism Bias7.2%This article: 8.0%Julie Yang: 4.3%BKReader: 5.3%Negativity Bias8.0%This article: 4.8%Julie Yang: 1.2%BKReader: 1.2%Self-Serving Bias4.8%This article: 5.4%Julie Yang: 1.3%BKReader: 0.4%Fundamental Attribution Error5.4%This article: 0.0%Julie Yang: 0.0%BKReader: 0.0%Actor-Observer Bias0.0%This article: 0.0%Julie Yang: 0.0%BKReader: 0.8%In-Group Bias0.0%This article: 0.0%Julie Yang: 0.0%BKReader: 0.2%Out-Group Homogeneity Bias0.0%This article: 7.8%Julie Yang: 2.0%BKReader: 2.4%Halo Effect7.8%This article: 0.0%Julie Yang: 0.0%BKReader: 0.1%Horn Effect0.0%This article: 0.0%Julie Yang: 0.0%BKReader: 0.0%Dunning-Kruger Effect0.0%This article: 2.8%Julie Yang: 0.7%BKReader: 0.6%Recency Bias2.8%This article: 0.0%Julie Yang: 0.0%BKReader: 0.2%Primacy Effect0.0%This article: 0.0%Julie Yang: 0.0%BKReader: 0.0%Blind-Spot Bias0.0%This article: 0.0%Julie Yang: 0.0%BKReader: 0.3%Ad Hominem0.0%This article: 0.0%Julie Yang: 0.0%BKReader: 0.1%Straw Man0.0%This article: 7.5%Julie Yang: 3.6%BKReader: 2.7%Appeal to Authority7.5%This article: 3.6%Julie Yang: 0.9%BKReader: 0.6%False Dilemma3.6%This article: 2.5%Julie Yang: 0.6%BKReader: 0.5%Slippery Slope2.5%This article: 0.0%Julie Yang: 0.0%BKReader: 0.1%Circular Reasoning0.0%This article: 12.6%Julie Yang: 5.9%BKReader: 2.5%Hasty Generalization12.6%This article: 5.4%Julie Yang: 1.3%BKReader: 0.2%Red Herring5.4%This article: 1.6%Julie Yang: 0.8%BKReader: 0.4%Bandwagon1.6%This article: 14.8%Julie Yang: 5.9%BKReader: 7.1%Appeal to Emotion14.8%This article: 4.1%Julie Yang: 1.0%BKReader: 0.9%Begging the Question4.1%This article: 5.2%Julie Yang: 1.3%BKReader: 1.4%Post Hoc (False Cause)5.2%This article: 0.0%Julie Yang: 0.0%BKReader: 0.1%Tu Quoque0.0%This article: 0.9%Julie Yang: 0.2%BKReader: 0.3%Burden of Proof0.9%This article: 0.0%Julie Yang: 0.0%BKReader: 0.0%Appeal to Nature0.0%This article: 3.3%Julie Yang: 0.8%BKReader: 0.3%Composition/Division3.3%This article: 0.0%Julie Yang: 0.0%BKReader: 1.0%Anecdotal0.0%This article: 0.0%Julie Yang: 0.0%BKReader: 0.0%No True Scotsman0.0%This article: 23.9%Julie Yang: 6.0%BKReader: 1.1%Ambiguity (Equivocation)23.9%This article: 0.0%Julie Yang: 0.0%BKReader: 0.0%Gambler’s Fallacy0.0%This article: 0.0%Julie Yang: 0.0%BKReader: 0.1%Middle Ground0.0%This article: 0.0%Julie Yang: 0.0%BKReader: 0.0%Personal Incredulity0.0%This article: 0.0%Julie Yang: 0.0%BKReader: 0.0%Special Pleading0.0%This article: 0.0%Julie Yang: 0.0%BKReader: 0.1%Genetic Fallacy0.0%This article: 0.0%Julie Yang: 0.0%BKReader: 1.6%Unattributed Quote0.0%This article: 0.0%Julie Yang: 0.0%BKReader: 0.9%Quote-first Misdirection0.0%This article: 4.3%Julie Yang: 2.5%BKReader: 2.3%Biased Writer Voice4.3%This article: 12.9%Julie Yang: 18.6%BKReader: 2.7%Indoctrination12.9%This article: 0.0%Julie Yang: 0.0%BKReader: 0.8%Politically Left Leaning Bias0.0%This article: 0.0%Julie Yang: 0.0%BKReader: 0.0%Politically Right Leaning Bias0.0%This article: 0.0%Julie Yang: 0.0%BKReader: 0.3%Attempt to Sell a Product or S…0.0%

690 words analyzed.

Speakers

2speakers5.5%attributed speech652writer words
100%flagged-word coverage
18 attributed words47% of attributed speech91% writer coverage
0%7.5%15.0%Indoctrination-13.7 ptsWriter: 13.7%Julie Yang, MD, FASGE, FACG, NYSGEF: 0.0%0.0%Biased Writer Voice-4.6 ptsWriter: 4.6%Julie Yang, MD, FASGE, FACG, NYSGEF: 0.0%0.0%

Attribution is sentence-level. Pattern percentages are calculated only from words assigned to that voice.

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Analysis

Hover over highlighted words in the article to view the associated bias or fallacy analysis.