American Cancer Society (ACS)<\/a> estimates that in 2026 alone, approximately 108,860 patients will be diagnosed with colon and rectal cancer, with about 55,230 deaths.<\/p>\nMost alarming, the doctors noted, is that colorectal cancer is on the rise in people under 50 by nearly 3% per year and is now the leading cause of cancer-related death in this age group.\n<\/p>\n
Dr. Rhee, who graduated from medical school in 2007 and has been at Maimonides for 13 years, told Brooklyn Paper that while hereditary colon cancer increases the risk of colorectal cancer, the majority of patients under 50 diagnosed with the illness do not have any hereditary or genetic link. While nobody knows for certain the cause of the rise, sedentary lifestyles, overweight and obesity, smoking, heavy alcohol use, low-fiber, high-fat diets or diets high in processed meats, and other environmental factors have all been associated with the disease.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you were born in the 1990s, you are at increased risk for colorectal cancer, even 50% more likely than people who were born before that time,\u201d Dr. Rhee said, noting that colorectal cancer among adults under 50 is increasing worldwide.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/MaimonidesColonDoc_033026-2.jpg\")
Dr. Rhee (left) performs a colorectal surgery.Photo by Gabriele Holtermann<\/p>\n
However, there is still stigma and misconceptions surrounding colon cancer screening. Patients are either too embarrassed to address symptoms with their doctors, feel that the procedure is \u201ctoo intimate or invasive,\u201d or are deterred by the bowel preparation, which involves drinking a large amount of laxative solution and frequent trips to the bathroom.<\/p>\n
Test options for colorectal cancer screening range from noninvasive stool-based tests, such as Cologuard, to CT colonography and colonoscopy. With advances in technology and medicine, preparation and procedure for colonoscopies have become less invasive, minimizing patient stress and anxiety.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve done it myself,\u201d Dr. Rhee shared. \u201cThe procedure is absolutely nothing. It\u2019s so brief, you\u2019re comfortable, you feel great when you wake up. The prep is, of course, a little intense, but it\u2019s totally fine. So it\u2019s just really trying to get over that fear. There are also stool tests that can be performed, such as Color Guard. They are very reliable, [and] if the Cologuard test is positive, you definitely need to get a colonoscopy.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/MaimonidesColonDoc_033026-6.jpg\")
A colonoscope, a small, lighted camera attached to the end of a long, thin, flexible tube called a catheter, detects abnormalities in the colon.<\/p>\n
Dr. Yang, a practicing gastroenterologist for 15 years whose specialty is gastrointestinal cancers, told Brooklyn Paper that the \u201chottest topic\u201d in gastrointestinal medicine is the early onset of colon cancer.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is a rise in the past decade of the 50-and-under age group having colon cancer and dying from it. We\u2019ve decreased mortality from colon cancer, particularly in the older age [group]. But for some reason, we\u2019ve seen a rise in early-onset cases in the past decade or so. We don\u2019t understand why,\u201d Dr. Yang said.<\/p>\n
Recently, the ACS lowered the age for regular colon cancer screening from 50 to 45. If colorectal cancer is caught early, the five-year survival rate is 90%. During a colonoscopy, doctors screen for abnormalities in the colon\u2019s tissue and identify cancerous lesions or polyps, which they remove and send in for testing. All colon cancer comes from polyps, which can take as long as 10 to 15 years to develop into cancer or be detected in its early stages.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/MaimonidesColonDoc_033026-8.jpg\")
High-definition video monitors enable Dr. Yang (right) to visualize the entire colon in real time.Photo by Gabriele Holtermann<\/p>\n
Dr. Yang stressed the importance of early screening because colon cancer is more than 90% preventable. She explained that during a colonoscopy, doctors not only check for abnormalities in the colon\u2019s tissue and cancerous lesions but also for pre-cancerous polyps, the major cause of colon cancers.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhether you have symptoms or not, you should go to your doctor and just inquire about your screening colonoscopy and check for colon cancer,\u201d Dr. Yang explained, noting that, regardless of age, people should watch for symptoms like rectal bleeding; changes in bowel habits, such as diarrhea, constipation, or narrowing of the stool; abdominal discomfort, including ongoing cramps, gas, pain, or a feeling of bloating\/fullness; and symptoms of anemia, like unexplained fatigue, easy tiredness, and lethargy.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor us as gastroenterologists, our biggest fight, whether it was early onset or not, is to just get people comfortable with the idea that you have to screen for colon cancer. We feel so passionate about it because it is a preventable cancer, versus other cancers where there\u2019s no pre-cancerous or pre-set lesion that we can follow that\u2019s predictable,\u201d she said. \u201cWe\u2019re just here to dispel the rumors that it\u2019s not as horrifying as people think; it\u2019s not like a horror show movie. It\u2019s very easily done, and there are lots of different options to get colon cancer screening if you can\u2019t get a colonoscopy, which is just as appropriate.\u201d<\/p>\n
39-year-old mother of two Tammy Smith shared her colon cancer journey with Brooklyn Paper.
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/MaimonidesColonDoc_033026-10.jpg\")
Tammy Smith was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer at the age of 35.Photo courtesy of Tammy Smith\n<\/p>\n
The former Alabama resident had a long history of symptoms like IBS, bloating, prolonged constipation, and rectal bleeding. Doctors in Alabama dismissed her symptoms, telling her the bleeding was due to hemorrhoids and prescribing hemorrhoid medication and laxatives.<\/p>\n
Her sister, a nurse, urged her to get a colonoscopy, suspecting Crohn\u2019s disease. Smith eventually had a CAT scan and an MRI in Alabama, which doctors misdiagnosed.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know how they even missed it,\u201d Smith said.\n<\/p>\n
It wasn\u2019t until Smith visited her family in New York City four years ago that she was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer.\n<\/p>\n
She recalled that after being unable to eat for a week, she went to Maimonides, where doctors immediately ordered testing and found not only colon cancer but also spots on her liver and lungs.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cI was in Alabama when this was happening, and I just don\u2019t think the right doctors were looking at me, because as soon as I went to Maimonides that same night, I found out something was wrong,\u201d Smith shared, praising the doctors at Maimonides for their professionalism and patient care.<\/p>\n
Dr. Rhee was Smith\u2019s colorectal surgeon. Rhee focuses on minimally invasive surgical techniques to help patients recover more quickly and achieve the best possible outcomes. Smith recalled Dr. Rhee\u2019s confidence when she met her, who reassured Smith that she was \u201cgoing to be just fine.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201c[Dr. Rhee] really fought for me. She wanted to save me. She told me that when she first walked in while I was in the hospital, \u2018I\u2019m gonna work on you, I\u2019m gonna save you,\u2019\u201d Smith shared, describing the doctor as a beautiful soul. \u201cI was like, \u2018Oh my God, this is a confident lady.\u2019 She took a little bit of anxiety from me. I mean, I was scared to death, but I had never seen a doctor walking that confidently like that ever before.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/MaimonidesColonDoc_033026-9.jpg\")
Dr. Yang stressed the importance of early screening because colon cancer is more than 90% preventable.Photo by Gabriele Holtermann<\/p>\n
Smith, a former postal worker who had planned to become a postmaster before her diagnosis and had to quit her government job due to her illness, is in remission.<\/p>\n
After her diagnosis, Smith extensively researched colon cancer and found that the subject is still taboo, particularly in Black and Brown communities. She stressed the importance of early education about colorectal cancer and screening.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t see any Black young females talking about [colon cancer],\u201d Smith shared. \u201cWhen I looked it up, I saw a lot of 50-year-old white men, you with rectal cancer [and] colon cancer. I didn\u2019t know anything about it. We have to educate ourselves and get familiar with this, because it\u2019s happening more to younger people.\u201d<\/p>\n
Smith, who is celebrating her 40th birthday next month and planning a trip to Orlando with friends, suspects her cancer was due to environmental influences since a cancer DNA test was negative for cancer risk genes. While living in Alabama, she resided in an area where residents were exposed to pollutants from oil refineries and shared that many of her neighbors were diagnosed with various forms of cancer.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know if it was just in my area, because there\u2019s a lot of oil plants out there in Alabama, but a lot of people started getting cancer in the area as well. That makes it even more serious. That means it was environmental. That\u2019s why a lot of people are getting it,\u201d Smith noted. \u201cMore people need to know. I think younger Black people, especially in my community, like in Alabama, no one gets checked. The doctors ain\u2019t even checking them properly there. There were so many people who died of cancer in the same community, around the same time I got cancer; it was so many people dying of cancer.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"March may be known for celebrating Women\u2019s History Month, but it\u2019s also a critical time to spotlight a…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":179803,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[98,100,99,72630,72631,72632,72633,72634,72635,72636,72637,2953,9679,9,24,12,370,63,62869],"class_list":["post-179802","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-brooklyn","tag-brooklyn","tag-brooklyn-headlines","tag-brooklyn-news","tag-cancer-screening","tag-colon-cancer","tag-colorectal-cancer-awareness-month","tag-colorectal-surgery","tag-dr-julie-yang","tag-dr-rebecca-rhee","tag-endoscopy","tag-gastroenterology","tag-health","tag-maimonides","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-news","tag-newsletter","tag-nyc","tag-womens-history-month"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/179802","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=179802"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/179802\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/179803"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=179802"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=179802"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=179802"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}