How to recognize signs of colon cancer

The news of actor Chadwick Boseman's death at age 43 due to colon cancer hit the world hard. His case highlights the higher risk of colon cancer in the Black population, as well as the increasing numbers of younger adults with this disease. Dr. Mukta Krane, section chief of colorectal surgery at UW Medicine, says although colon cancer is still more common in those over 50, in the past few decades, more people in their 40s are getting diagnosed. 

"I think that the most important things to remember is that our hope is for early detection when either we can prevent somebody from developing or prevent a mass from developing into a cancer or start treatment early before it has an opportunity to spread," she said.

A colonscopy is still the gold standard for screening. Krane added that it's also important to recognize the symptoms of colon cancer and to know if you are in a high-risk population.