Experts warn younger people not to dismiss symptoms such as rectal bleeding as diagnoses rise for those under 50+

Colorectal cancer is now the leading cause of cancer death in the US for people under 50, according to a new analysis from the American Cancer Society, prompting both experts and those in that age group with the disease to warn others to take certain symptoms seriously.

Becca Lynch, who works in cyber security in Denver, Colorado, was diagnosed with advanced colon cancer last year, when she was just 29. At first, she assumed her symptoms couldn’t be anything serious: “I chalked it up to stress,” she said.

Now, she is careful to describe her symptoms in great detail, not because they’re fun to talk about, but because she doesn’t want other people to miss the signs.