A Los Angeles mother watched worrying symptoms get dismissed as postpartum changes for years, only to learn later they were signs of colorectal cancer. Her experience shows how younger patients can be overlooked, why family history and screening matter, and how treatment and community advocacy can follow a late diagnosis.
Marisa Peters noticed bleeding after she had her first son and tried to get answers as the signs grew worse. “Symptoms intensified to where blood was filling the toilet … then I had increased urgency to go to the bathroom,” she shared with Fox News Digital. “The size, shape and texture of my stool also changed.”
At first, doctors told her these were normal changes after childbirth and moved on, because Peters was only in her early 30s. “They didn’t realize the face of colorectal cancer had changed,” Peters said. “It now looked like someone much younger.”
Doctors often still picture colorectal cancer as an older person’s disease, but trends are shifting and later diagnoses are becoming more common in younger adults. “We’re seeing a rise in people, younger and younger, unfortunately, with late-stage diagnosis, which leads to pretty abysmal mortality rates,” she added, noting the power of earlier detection and intervention through colonoscopy.
Peters kept pushing and finally saw a gastroenterologist after persistent bleeding and other red flags that included severe anemia she didn’t recognize at the time. “I will never forget [the doctor’s] face,” she said. “She was stunned and shocked by what I shared.” Lab work and stool testing prompted an urgent colonoscopy that confirmed the concern.
The colonoscopy in June 2021 revealed a 5-centimeter tumor at the top of her rectum and led to a stage 3 diagnosis. Over the next 11 months, chemotherapy and radiation produced a dramatic response, shrinking the tumor by half and setting the stage for surgery. Peters then underwent rectal reconstruction and received a temporary ileostomy to divert waste and allow healing.
After additional chemotherapy rounds she had an ileostomy reversal and described the feeling of recovery as her body being “essentially put back together.” Peters also managed treatment while still nursing a toddler and caring for two other children, leaning heavily on her husband and a support team. “Thankfully, I have a tremendous mental health team, and they have helped me redefine my life, really communicate with my husband, with my children — not only throughout the journey, but also through the reformation of what family and motherhood looks like,” she told Fox News Digital.
Even though Peters’ tumor was advanced enough that an earlier colonoscopy might not have changed her particular outcome, she stresses that screening remains the gold standard for catching precancerous lesions and saving lives. After her diagnosis, relatives went in for colonoscopies that turned up and removed precancerous polyps, underscoring how valuable family health history can be in prompting preventive care. “Knowing your family’s health history is tremendously important,” she said.
Peters launched BE SEEN, a colorectal cancer nonprofit, to push for earlier intervention and to help people speak up about symptoms and risk. BE SEEN provides resources and community programs aimed at making it easier for people to get screened and supported. “Colorectal cancer is an entirely preventable disease, even though it’s on the rise in people in their 20s, 30s and 40s for reasons we don’t know,” she said.
Her message is direct: when symptoms persist, insist on evaluation and do not accept easy explanations simply because of age. “I want people to be seen for their symptoms … I want them to be seen for their story. And I want them to be seen, ultimately, for their screenings, because we know they save lives,” she said.
Peters also voiced frustration at lost time and the many patients who get late diagnoses without the same response to treatment. “I lost so much time, and I’m still deeply questioning why I am here to talk about it when so many other people get a late-stage diagnosis and don’t have the complete response that I had,” Peters added. “We’re losing people far too soon, and it’s just not okay. This is not something we should be settling for.”
Colorectal cancer is now the leading cause of cancer death in adults under 50 and the second leading cause of cancer death overall in the U.S. Adults 65 and younger make up a much larger share of new cases than they did decades ago, a shift that has prompted updated screening advice. Official guidance recommends screening begin at age 45 and continue through age 75 for people at average risk, and anyone with concerning symptoms or questions about their risk should consult a doctor for guidance.
