At 36, Gabby Zappia (pictured above) discovered the presence of blood in her stool. Her doctor believed the cause to hemorrhoids related to pregnancy. A few months later the colonoscopy showed she was suffering from the stage IV cancer of her colon. Gabby Zappia
- Colorectal cancer among people who are younger than 50 years old is increasing and is the main cause of death from cancer among young adults.
- Experts believe it’s unclear why the number of cases is rising for those under 50.
- Gabby Zappia shares her experiences in through diagnosis and treatment following her initial symptoms were incorrectly diagnosed as being related to pregnancy.
Twenty-four years ago, Gabby Zappia, 36 in 2024 was pregnant, and was pregnant with the third of her children when she first noticed blood in her stool.
“I took it to my OB and she advised me that it was most likely due to pregnancy-related hemorrhoids. This explanation was logical and I wanted it to be logical so I believed in the explanation,” she told Healthline.
When her son was born the symptoms remained and she sought answers.
“A colonoscopy changed my life overnight. While they did not find hemorrhoids they discovered a massive mass of my colon.” Zappia said.
The year 2024 was the month that Zappia discovered she had Stage IV colon cancer that had spread to her liver.
“I had been a full time mother and was in charge of every aspect of my children their schedules. I also worked a part-time job” she shared. “After the diagnosis I was forced put aside my work to focus on recovery and appointments. My husband was able to take over the majority of the daily tasks I was handling as a mom, and I had to resign myself from my role as a mom.”
Zappia immediately underwent an operation on her colon and, following recovery she began chemotherapy as well as immunotherapy beginning in the month of January, 2025. City of Hope.
In April 2025 she paused of chemotherapy. She underwent a liver resection operation and the implantation with the HAI pump. Following that, she resumed chemotherapy her recovery.
“After 15 sessions of treatment, I declared to be healthy and rang the bell of a survivor in September 2025. After a few months tests on ctDNA showed cancer, and an PET scan confirmed the presence of cancer of my liver.” Zappia said. Zappia.
She had another liver operation in January 2026. Since her ctDNA can be detected She is currently pursuing clinical studies.
“Colon cancer has become an illness that affects older adults and is currently growing. Your body knows you better than anyone else. If you feel something is off You can ask questions and even request further testing. Ask questions. Demand a colonoscopy.” Zappia said.
If you’re not getting the attention you deserve she advised you to seek another opinion.
“We must be more aware. We must listen to the children of patients. I am only one of many young people who are suffering of colon cancer. And when sharing my story helps at least one person to catch cancer early, than sharing my story is a good thing,” said Zappia.
Why is the incidence of colorectal cancer among young adults in the rising trend?
Once thought to be an illness for older people The colorectal cancer of today is the primary cause of death due to cancer for adults younger than 50.
According to an study published in January of 2026 by the JAMA report that colorectal cancer is now overtaken lung and breast cancer as the primary cause of death from cancer among U.S. adults under 50.
The doctors of City of Hope, where Zappia was treated at the time, have reported that they are treating a number of patients in their 30s, 20s, and 40s every week, which is a reflection of what’s happening in the nation.
Pashtoon Kasi MD MS Medical Director at GI Medical Oncology within the City of Hope Orange County which treated Gabby said that three of four patients who are younger than 50 have been diagnosed with advanced cancer.
“There aren’t any screening guidelines for people who aren’t over 45 years of age. It’s crucial to remember that the age for screening has shifted from age 50 up to but we’re often seeing patients in their 20s, 30s, and 40s and since there’s no screening test for them when they are diagnosed, they’re usually metastatic or advanced,” Kasi said.
Although genetics may be the cause of the small portion of cases of colorectal cancer that is early-onset, Kasi said the increase of colorectal cancers in younger individuals is typically seen in those with no risk factors.
Researchers are investigating potential contributing factors, including antibiotics and microbiome health diet, as well as microplasticsTrusted SourceTrusted source however, no one reason can explain the increase in.
Be aware of your body and its symptoms is the best protection right now, according to Kasi.
“A majority of our patients have a lot of health issues, and they have young children and we’ve witnessed the cancer being discovered in the course of pregnancy or following, and frequently it is labelled as hemorrhoids or a condition which isn’t however, in the end likely should have received more attention,” he said.
Rectal bleeding symptomsthat researchers believe is an sign of early-onset colorectal cancer for adults younger than 50 years old — changes in the bowel habits unanswered pain and weight loss that is not intentional must be considered seriously.
“[Thereality that, at the very least for currently there isn’t a guideline-approved screening tests for younger people, these are signs that warrant greater care,” Kasi said.
Advancements in screening and treatment of colon cancer offer optimism
As per City of Hope doctors, researchers are researching ways to improve treatment options which include a particular focus on enhancing the immunotherapy response as well as targeted therapies. They are also conducting clinical studies for rectal cancer that include immunotherapy, chemotherapy, and radiosensitizers.
Research into cellular and CAR T treatments for patients with high resistance is also in progress.
Ajay Goel Ph.D., Professor and chair of the Department of Molecular Diagnostics and Experimental Therapeutics at City of Hope, is conducting blood-based tests to identify colorectal cancers among younger patients.
“Over the last 10 years or so, wehave] developed tests based on blood that could detect evidence of colon cancers of early-onset with a fairly high degree of accuracy. This means that it is a 90% accuracy, the test is finding patients suffering from early-onset colon cancer. That’s quite thrilling,” he said.
Although the test isn’t accessible to the public, Goel said it is positive. The test could be used as part of regular labs that are drawn by primary care doctors beginning with patients as young as 18 years old.
“We continue in the process of developing this and we’re hoping we will at some point make this test available to the clinic when we are able to verify it on larger populations of patients,” he said.
Tips to reduce the risk of cancer from colorectal in adolescents
Although there isn’t a magical method to completely eliminate the possibility of getting colorectal cancer however, the American Society for Cancer SocietyTrusted SourceTrusted Source suggests the following steps to reduce the risk:
- Be screened by a colonoscopy when you’re aged 45 or older. If you’re younger than 45 discuss with your doctor regarding blood and stool tests as a possibility.
- Maintain an appropriate diet, weight and exercise routine by taking care of your weight and participating in regular moderate or vigorous exercise, and eating the right diet that is rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains and avoiding processed and red meats.
- Limit your drinking and don’t Smoke, as both are associated with the risk for developing colorectal cancer.
- Talk to your doctor about vitamin supplements, magnesium, and calciumthat could reduce the risk of developing cancer.
