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News — Manahawkin, N.J. - February 27, 2025 - Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in the U.S. for men and women combined, and it's increasingly affecting younger adults. While incidence rates are declining in older populations, they're annually among those under 50 years old. This alarming trend underscores the critical need for increased awareness and early detection.

During Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, meet Susan ("Susie") Buzby of Little Egg Harbor, New Jersey. At 37, she was nine weeks pregnant with her third child when she experienced rectal bleeding. Having a family history of the disease, she sought immediate medical attention and was diagnosed with stage 3c colorectal cancer. Her journey involved a laparoscopic colon resection and chemotherapy while pregnant, and the challenges of raising two young children while battling cancer. Despite these obstacles, Susie safely delivered her daughter, Autumn Hope, in 2015. Now, at 47, Susie is a passionate advocate for early screening like colonoscopy and shares her story to educate and inspire others.

“Colorectal cancer in young people wasn’t really mentioned a lot back when I was diagnosed,” shares Susie. “Had I not paid attention to my symptoms nor had a provider who actually listened to me, who knows what would have happened. It’s important that patients be their own advocate on this journey.”

", while sometimes viewed as unpleasant, is the gold standard for colorectal cancer screening," says Susie's colorectal surgeon , at Hackensack Meridian Southern Ocean Medical Center. "It's far more manageable than treating colorectal cancer. Colonoscopy and removing polyps before they become cancer is the ounce of prevention; surgery, chemotherapy, and everything else for a colon cancer is the pound of cure.”

Physicians at Hackensack Meridian Health are witnessing this concerning trend . "One or even two out of every five colorectal cancer patients we see are under 50," says , chief of medical oncology at Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center, who also sees patients at Ocean University Medical Center.  “What’s even more concerning, is that many of these young patients are otherwise healthy with no known obvious risk factors or genetic disposition.”  

While research continues into the reasons behind this rise in younger-onset colorectal cancer, known risk factors include poor diet, excessive alcohol and tobacco use, sedentary lifestyle, and genetic conditions, such as Lynch syndrome.  There are also many ongoing studies that have implicated interruption of the gut biome (healthy bacteria) as well as increased use of many popular “energy drinks” as other potential causes of increased risk of colorectal carcinoma, notes Dr. Greenberg.   

The following are available for interviews:

• Susan ("Susie") Buzby, who can share her personal story of diagnosis and treatment during pregnancy, and advocacy
• Michael Del Rosario, MD, FACS, FASCRS and Michael Caparelli, MD, MS, FACS colorectal surgeons at Hackensack Meridian Southern Ocean Medical Center; and Hackensack Meridian Health medical oncologist David B. Greenberg, MD, FACP, who can discuss screening methods and risk factors; the importance of colonoscopy and early detection; and the rising incidence of colorectal cancer in younger adults

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