More young people are getting early-onset colorectal cancer. 5 things to know

It’s crucial to put embarrassment aside and talk to your doctor about unusual bowel symptoms. SDI Productions/E+/Getty Images

(CNN) — Nobody ever wants to hear they have cancer, but when it strikes a young person, the news is perhaps even more devastating because everything about the future they were imagining and working toward is thrown into question.

Unfortunately, early-onset cancer — disease in people younger than 50 years old — is being diagnosed more frequently , according to various studies . And among early-onset cancers, colorectal cancer hovers near the top of the list .

“It was shocking to see that a young person — perfectly fit and healthy, no risk factors, no family history — could be diagnosed with Stage 4 disease. And then it just became more and more common