ORLANDO, Fla. — According to a recent report from the American Cancer Society, instances of colorectal cancer have increased significantly in younger patients since the mid-90s.

The report's authors say information from the last few decades shows that colon cancer rates in people younger than 55 have nearly doubled from 11% in 1995 to 20% in 2019.

Dr. John Monson, a colorectal surgeon and executive medical director of Digestive Health & Surgery Institute at AdventHealth Central Florida, says there have been a few studies in the last few years that have confirmed the trend.

He said traditionally, colorectal cancer has been a disease that mainly affects people in their 50s, 60s and 70s. But Monson said he’s increasingly seeing it being diagnosed in people in their 20s, 30s and 40s.

He said the increase in diagnoses in younger people can be linked to environmental factors like diet and increasing rates of obesity.

“It’s an overwhelmingly preventable condition,” Monson said.

He’s also the director and vice chair of research at the Surgical Health Outcomes Consortium, and serves as the program director for the National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer.

“Just because you’re in your 20s or 30s and you develop some symptoms, you shouldn’t ignore them by saying, ‘I’m only 25, I can’t have colon cancer,'" he said. "If you have red-flag symptoms, then you should act upon them by consulting your doctor.”

He says most patients diagnosed with colon cancer do not inherit the disease genetically.

“More than 90% of colon cancer starts as a benign polyp," Monson said. "But if it’s removed at a colonoscopy, it prevents a person from getting colon cancer and can possibly save their life. There is no reason to not get screened.”

Monson said symptoms of colon cancer can include persistent bloody stool and an increase in bowel movement frequency that lasts for months.

Tasha Hurst says she received a diagnosis of Stage 3 colorectal cancer at 48 years old, that was upgraded to Stage 4 when it spread to her liver, lung and abdomen.

“I’ve never once thought that I was going to give up on this," she said. "I call it winning, I don’t call it fighting."

She’s had several surgeries, but said she will have to undergo chemotherapy for the rest of her life.

After her diagnosis, Hurst said she felt a calling to start fundraising to help eliminate some of the financial barriers to colorectal cancer screenings.

She says she’s part of several support groups where she’s noticed younger people sharing their diagnosis.

“I raised money, and what was really special about this past year was because I really targeted raising money for people that are young that may not have the needs, financial or insurance, to get screened,” said Hurst. “Listen to your body. Those are the strongest words and that’s my message. Put your rear in gear and listen to your body.”

Although there is no cure for her disease, Hurst says she goes to chemotherapy to keep her colorectal cancer at bay.

And she says she’s already preparing for next year’s annual "Put Your Rear in Gear" fundraiser.

This past year, Hurst said the fundraiser netted more than $24,000 for the Colon Cancer Coalition.

Monson says that while more young people are being diagnosed, the life expectancy of patients with colorectal cancer has increased and improved steadily over the past 20 years.

He said people being diagnosed earlier, and improved chemotherapy and immunotherapy treatments have contributed to that improvement. In the future, some newer forms of immunotherapy even "have the potential to cure patients," he said.