Colorectal cancer: symptoms and the value of screening
•April 8, 2026•
by Angela Hogan
Administrator - Moultrie
County Health Department
Colorectal cancer (CRC) isn’t a common topic of conversation for most adults. However, maybe it should be. Recent statistics from the National Institutes of Health indicate CRC is the second most common cause of cancer-related death in the United States, and it ranks as the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in adults younger than 50 years. Why?
CRC often begins without detectable symptoms. A person can feel healthy, have no obvious warning signs, and still have precancerous polyps or early cancer developing in the colon or rectum. Unfortunately, by the time symptoms are identified and an individual seeks medical attention, the cancerous lesions may have spread.