Research Could Help Illuminate Alarming Trend of Colon Cancer in Young People
It’s scary when pain suddenly becomes your everyday companion; it’s scarier still when doctors can’t figure out its cause. For five years, that was life for Madeline “Maddee” Moore, an account manager with Noble Research Institute and cattle rancher from La Grande, Oregon. In 2018, at 30 years old, she began battling unexplained pain, fatigue and anemia—symptoms that, over subsequent years, doctors erroneously attributed to things like period pain or a pulled abdominal wall.
Bending over hurt. Seatbelts rubbed wrong. She had digestion issues. Laying on her right side resulted in burning pain. Supplements and extra red meat in her diet did nothing to alleviate her anemia, and she was routinely so exhausted that all she wanted to do was lie down.
“I don’t know how many times I googled ‘appendix pain,’ and ‘burst appendix,’” Maddee said. Thankfully, that wasn’t the problem. She then researched juicing and ways to support her gut biome. “I was chasing every fad from a diet standpoint of, how can I help myself?”
Finally, a colonoscopy in February 2023 revealed an unexpected diagnosis: the 35-year-old had an 8.5cm mass in her colon. She was diagnosed with stage 2 colon cancer.
“I was like, ‘okay, at least I have a reason why I feel so bad now,’” Maddee said.
At the time, she wasn’t that familiar with colon cancer. However, it didn’t take her long to research the “alarming rates” of people under the age of 50 dying from the disease.
In Americans under age 50, colon cancer rates have doubled since 1995, according to the National Cancer Institute. It is now the leading cause of cancer deaths among American men ages 20 to 49 years old, and the second cause of death among American women in that age group, according to the American Cancer Society. Interestingly, colon cancer rates have decreased by 30% in Americans over 50 during this time.
Research is critical to discovering what genetic and environmental factors could be affecting younger generations’ skyrocketing colorectal cancer rates.
Fortunately for Maddee, within weeks she was scheduled for surgery at St. Luke’s Cancer Institute in Boise, during which they removed one foot of her colon, 40 lymph nodes and a tumor the size of a Nerf ball.
“I’m very, very thankful for the St. Luke’s team for being able to get me in so fast,” said Maddee. Especially her oncologist, Dr. Dan Zuckerman, who did a wonderful job of outlining her treatment options post-surgery—namely, chemotherapy or observation. As Dr. Zuckerman explained, clinical trials have not shown chemotherapy to benefit patients like Maddee. After much reflection, Maddee opted for observation, which includes regular lab tests to monitor cancer markers, physical exams every 2-3 months, and annual CT exams and colonoscopies.
“For me, looking at chemo, radiation, I didn’t want to have to go through that if I didn’t have to,” Maddee said. Part of her motivation was her desire to start a family with her husband. Chemotherapy would complicate that process.
During her cancer diagnosis and treatment, Maddee’s St. Luke’s team helped make another key discovery: she is a carrier for Lynch Syndrome, an inherited genetic condition that increases your risk of developing certain types of cancers at an early age, including colorectal cancer. The news was bittersweet; Maddee’s father, an Oregon State Police Officer who loved the outdoors, had died suddenly of pancreatic cancer at age 47. He was likely a carrier. Thanks to her diagnosis, seven other family members have tested positive for Lynch Syndrome and now can be more proactive with their health care.
Like her relatives, Maddee’s Lynch Syndrome diagnosis means that aside from monitoring for a recurrence of colon cancer, she must always remain vigilant for developing other types of cancer. Thanks to her care team, she’s confident in her chances of having a healthy future.
“The care that I’ve received from St. Luke’s has been incredible,” Maddee stressed.
To help other young people in her position, Maddee has participated in several clinical research studies to help further the scientific knowledge of colorectal cancer, its potential causes and future treatments. She encourages everyone to support cancer research in whatever way they’re able.
“Research dollars do make a difference,” she said. “And I’m very happy to have the opportunity to be a part of trials… to be able to help myself, my family, in our community here in Idaho and in eastern Oregon, where colon cancer rates are very high.”
Maddee is currently two years cancer free. She and her husband, Nick, welcomed their first child in spring 2025.