March marks Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, a moment to raise awareness about one of the most common cancers in Europe. While colorectal cancer (CRC) is often associated with older adults, an increasing number of adolescents and young adults (AYAs) are being diagnosed, frequently after their symptoms have been dismissed or overlooked.
To shed light on this reality, we spoke with Mila, who was diagnosed with stage III bowel cancer at 26. Today, she is a member of Youth Cancer Europe (www.youthcancereurope.org), a pan-European patient advocacy network representing young people living with and beyond cancer in more than 40 countries.
Q: Can you tell us about your diagnosis and how it all started?
I was diagnosed with stage III bowel cancer in 2020, when I was 26 years old.
I was young. I was healthy. I was doing everything right.
But I knew something was wrong — and no one believed me.
My symptoms were brushed off because of my age. I had just turned 26, so apparently I had nothing to worry about. Doctors suggested I was overthinking my body image, swallowing too much air while eating, or that it was just IBS, hormonal changes, or even “period-related”. I was told there was no need for tests.
Q: Did you continue looking for answers when your symptoms were ignored?
Yes, I visited my GP monthly and asked for second opinions as my symptoms got worse. But the truth is, no one believed me. My colonoscopy, originally scheduled for March 2020, was delayed because it wasn’t considered urgent. When I finally had it at the end of May, they found the tumour.
Within a month, I had an iron IV transfusion, multiple tests, scans and appointments. Then the surgery. When I was discharged, they told me I’d have a follow-up appointment with oncology in two weeks.
No one mentioned cancer, not to me or my family. I naively assumed that appointment was just about next steps and recovery. I vividly remember sitting in that waiting room, completely unaware that I’d soon know every corner of that place.
August 13th. That was the first time I heard the word “cancer”.
A flood of information followed, in a language that sounded like mine but didn’t feel like mine. I couldn’t speak. I just sat there, staring at my oncologist. It felt like an out-of-body experience.
.
Q: What challenges do young adults with cancer face that might be different from older patients?
The challenges faced by young adults are often overlooked. They are not just medical; they are emotional, financial and social. Balancing treatment, tests and follow-up appointments is difficult enough, but doing so in a healthcare system that isn’t designed for people our age makes it even harder.
Society expects you to “move on”, as if nothing happened. But in reality, everything has changed. The truth is, you don’t move on. You move forward with it, with the constant fear of recurrence, the changes, the challenges and the side effects.
Q: How has this experience changed you personally?
I grieve the life I had and the versions of myself I lost along the way, but I also deeply appreciate who I’ve become.
This experience has taught me that we need to challenge the way we think about cancer and find answers as to why it is increasingly affecting people under 50.
We deserve a healthcare system and policies that support us at every stage. A system, where we are seen not just as patients, but as individuals with unique needs.
Because we are more than scans, tests, results, numbers and statistics.
Why awareness and screening matter
Stories like Mila’s highlight the importance of listening to patients and strengthening early detection efforts, including accessible and trusted screening programmes.
Within the European project ONCOSCREEN, Youth Cancer Europe (YCE) contributes to the work on end-user requirements as well as dissemination, communication and impact creation. YCE supports citizen awareness campaigns that aim to increase understanding and acceptance of colorectal cancer screening programmes, while helping disseminate information about ONCOSCREEN’s innovative screening technologies.
By combining research, technology and lived experience, ONCOSCREEN seeks to improve participation in colorectal cancer screening and ultimately save lives.