143 points by stevenwoo 3 days ago | 205 comments on HN
| Neutral Moderate agreement (2 models)
Editorial · v3.7· 2026-03-16 01:26:22 0
Summary Health & Welfare Advocates
The Guardian article advocates for colon cancer awareness and early detection among younger populations, directly engaging with Article 25 (health rights) through epidemiological reporting and expert health guidance. The content supports health information access and medical prevention through free publication and accessible presentation, though structural tracking infrastructure undermines privacy protections inherent to Article 12. Overall, the piece champions health as a fundamental right while acknowledging some tension between information freedom and privacy security.
Rights Tensions1 pair
Art 12 ↔ Art 19 —Content supports free expression of health information (Art. 19) but tracking infrastructure enables surveillance of readers' health information interests, undermining privacy control (Art. 12) and creating potential chilling effect on information-seeking freedom.
There is going to be some big AHA moment tied so couple food practices. Like washing chicken in chlorine or something. I wonder how are the stats in other developed countries. The title says US.
They need to lower the screening to 40. I just had mine at 40, turned out fine luckily. Did it without sedation which my doctor said was rare in US, but common outside of US. I found surprising, wasn't that big of a deal. Pain was probably at a 7/10 during the turns (like 3 times) but ok the rest of the time. A little uncomfortable. Some new sensations, some familiar (feeling like you are crapping your pants).
I walked in and walked out no issue and went on about my day. Prep was fine but would be hard if I didn't work at home.
Ultra-marathoners have a 7x chance of getting colon cancer under 50. This is where it needs to be studied, maybe it's a common food or common supplement they are taking?
The decline in mortality for so many other types of cancer has caused colon cancer to become the leading cause of cancer deaths under 50 in US. Eat more fiber.
So many folks that have it say things like "I was super healthy! Did exercise, young, don't drink, etc." Then you dig deeper and realize the last vegetable meal they ate was a soggy brussel sprout their mom made them when they were 17 years old, and also eat cold cut turkey sandwiches every lunch because they're "healthy", and maybe have a tiny shred of lettuce in the sandwich. For breakfast, they eat pancakes or sugary foods, and dinner is just a piece of steak
As a Multiple Sclerosis patient since I was a teenager, let me just say: all you “healthy diet” zealots aren’t helping. Your advice on which blended kale and gogi berry smoothie I should try is cringe and annoying. Normally, the person is right in front of me, and well-intentioned, so I typically smile and politely thank them with a non-committal gesture towards trying it someday.
But since this is all one-party and relatively anonymous, I’d like to take the opportunity to tell everyone that unless you have a PhD or MD in a relevant field, your thoughts about fiber are irrelevant and unwelcome to anyone actually suffering from the disease(s) in question.
My step-brother had this around 40. He's okay now, but it was a terrible process involving surgery, carrying around a bag, and chemo which aged him significantly during treatment (from no gray hair to all gray in a couple years).
You would have never guessed he was an unhealthy guy by looking at him, but I do assume it has something to do with foods we consider normal in the US. I've taken a page out of Bryan Johnson's book and started eating well over 100% of recommended daily fiber intake (easy and enjoyable if you make some chia seed porridge every morning), and I will say my digestion has never been better. Keeping the system clear seems like a sane first line of defense to preventing this kind of thing.
This almost certainly speaks more to how much we have advanced on other cancers? The chart for total incidence shows it peaked in the 80s at about 70 per 100k and is down to about 40 per the same amount, now.
Such that, yes, we can still get better. But people here are reacting as if there is some damning evidence that just doesn't track with the data. Even with an uptick in younger people getting this, we still don't have a smoking gun on anything that is directly causal to this.
Also, holy crap, if you have rectal bleeding, don't ignore it! That that is listed as an early warning sign that people ignore is terrifying.
One of the healthiest things you can do is buy a vitamix or similarly powerful blender and make kale, spinach, broccoli, and mixed berry smoothies with olive oil. They don't have to taste GOOD, just good enough to be chugged as fast as possible.
If you have the symptoms, go get yourself checked out. I delayed my colonoscopy for YEARS, hell - I even delayed my doctors visit for years, and I had pretty much every symptom there is. My anxiety was through the roof when taking the blood test, and getting the colonoscopy - as I simply assumed they'd find something.
But, no. They didn't find a single thing. Blood and stool tests came back fine. Not even a polyp was found during the colonoscopy.
The only thing that kind of sucked, was the prep - there's no way around that. But the colonoscopy itself, no problem. I get some mild sedatives, but was completely awake during the procedure - even watched it on the screen.
Hank Green's visualization[0] a few weeks ago cite several statistically significant risk increases to CRC incidence (omitting ultra endurance athletes):
- Sugary drinks (≥2/day as teen) - 2x
- Sedentary lifestyle (>2hr TV/day) - 1.7x
- Childhood antibiotics (recurrent) - 1.5x
Have any studies tracked the growth of these behaviors in recent decades, potentially lining up with the increase in early onset CRC?
Which state did you have it done in if I may ask? I'm in Oregon and haven't been able to find a doc that does it without sedation. I can't be put under sedation for medical reasons, but I definitely need this procedure done sooner than later due to new GI problems.
The trend has been down, even for this cancer. Such that I agree there were probably some big AHA moments. But I assert they almost certainly happened 50 years ago.
My expectation is that it is less that there has been a growing trend of this cancer getting worse, and far more that we have gotten better at many other cancers. That is, overall, this is good news on progress. Not a scare headline.
With old school sedation I think it might be worth avoiding it. But with propofol you are out like a light, and then wake back up just as fast when they turn it off -- and it feels like you just had a nice nap. Aside from feeling a bit groggy for a few minutes, you just get up and walk out the door and go about your day. Personally, I do not think I'd volunteer for 7/10 pain just to avoid that.
Are you serious? Do you really think thats the reason that this is happening -- that people don't just eat their veggies? Fiber is important but, um, that's a pretty hot take.
Do you have specific risk factors that caused your doctor to recommend getting it at 40, or did you have to convince them? My understanding is that if the doctor doesn't order it, many insurance companies won't cover it.
"Guys, it's not the chemicals present in every packaged food you ever set your eyes on, or the pesticides every vegetable is grown in, it's just that you don't eat vegetables."
You can quickly find historical availability & consumption data and I don't think it supports any trivially obvious hypotheses like these. You'll find headlines saying things like that we're at a low point in vegetable consumption going back to 1988, but I'm reading an NIH paper charting '70-'2010 and the patterns look stable, except for increases in total calories, in dairy, and in added dairy fats and oils.
Whatever's going on, it's probably going to end up being complicated and multifactorial.
That's such a big disparity I'm very suspicious of that data, but there seems to be plenty of evidence that grossly excessive cardiovascular exercise is bad for you in various ways.
If people enjoy it and really get a lot out of it then I wouldn't judge them for doing it, but let's not pretend it's healthy, because all the evidence is that it isn't.
In terms of cardio being able to run a half decent 5k a couple of times a week is probably a good idea, any more volume than that is really not necessary and at some point becomes harmful
I think this is probably due to people suffering from the just-world fallacy. Most folks like to believe that if you do the right things and consume the right stuff you'll have a long and healthy life when the fact of the matter is that luck/randomness plays a much larger role in your health than most people would like to admit.
I'll echo this by saying that, as someone who has their MD, there is much we simply do not know. We're always updating our priors and have much to base our decisions off of, but we simply do not understand many things. Medicine is out here winging it with the best of intentions, but there are no "experts" in the grand scheme of things.
You're on a discussion forum where the topic is colon cancer. Surely you understand that people are going to discuss it?
It's a bit hard to tell from your post what you're saying. Certainly I can imagine being annoyed by constantly being given health advice from layman. But this is... a forum.
High A: Right to health and medical care F: Health as fundamental right
Editorial
+0.45
SETL
+0.45
Article directly engages with Article 25 by reporting on cancer mortality trends, screening implications, and expert warnings about symptom recognition. Framing colon cancer as preventable through early detection affirms right to health protection.
FW Ratio: 67%
Observable Facts
Article headline emphasizes colon cancer as 'leading cause of cancer deaths under 50,' treating health outcomes as public health metric.
Standfirst advises younger people to recognize cancer symptoms, supporting early detection and medical intervention access.
Article references expert health guidance ('Experts warn'), affirming health expertise recognition.
Photo shows public health event for cancer awareness on National Mall, indicating institutional health promotion.
Inferences
Reporting on cancer mortality rates and prevention implies recognition of health as fundamental right.
Emphasis on symptom recognition supports access to timely medical care.
High A: Free expression and information about health matters F: Public health as information matter of public concern
Editorial
+0.40
SETL
+0.45
Article reports freely on colon cancer trends affecting young adults, expressing editorial judgment that this health crisis constitutes news of public interest. Headline, standfirst, and body provide information and expert analysis without apparent censorship or editorial constraint.
FW Ratio: 67%
Observable Facts
Article headline and standfirst contain editorial analysis: 'Colon cancer now leading cause of cancer deaths under 50 in US' and 'Experts warn younger people not to dismiss symptoms such as rectal bleeding as diagnoses rise for those under 50.'
Byline attributes content to named journalist Hannah Harris Green with verifiable profile.
Article includes direct quotes and expert attribution (implied by 'Experts warn').
Tracker domains collect data on readers accessing health information, creating potential surveillance chilling effect.
Inferences
Editorial freedom in health reporting supports public right to information about health risks.
Extensive behavioral tracking of article readers may inhibit free information-seeking about sensitive health topics.
Medium F: Health information privacy as personal/family privacy right
Editorial
+0.30
SETL
+0.37
Article reports on personal health matters (colon cancer diagnosis) with individual dignity; discusses health conditions affecting younger people without violating personal privacy of subjects.
FW Ratio: 60%
Observable Facts
Article discusses colon cancer diagnoses and symptoms without naming specific patients or disclosing personal medical records.
Medium A: Recognition of inherent human dignity in health discourse
Editorial
+0.25
SETL
+0.22
Article acknowledges human dignity by treating colon cancer diagnosis and prevention as matters of public health concern affecting young adults, framing their health outcomes as worthy of public attention.
FW Ratio: 60%
Observable Facts
Headline states 'Colon cancer now leading cause of cancer deaths under 50 in US,' identifying a health crisis affecting a specific population.
Article byline identifies Hannah Harris Green as author with verifiable profile link.
Page metadata indicates publication date 2026-03-12 and modification date 2026-03-12T19:45:03Z.
Inferences
Naming colon cancer as a leading cause of death for young adults implicitly affirms their lives and health outcomes matter.
Public health reporting of this kind supports the foundational UDHR principle that all humans possess inherent dignity.
Article implicitly affirms social security rights by treating access to cancer prevention, screening, and health information as social responsibility. Framing colon cancer as public health issue suggests duty of state to protect health.
FW Ratio: 67%
Observable Facts
Article discusses rising colon cancer diagnoses in context of public health concern, implying societal responsibility for prevention.
Reference to expert warnings suggests institutional health guidance structures.
Inferences
Framing cancer as public health issue affirms recognition that health protection is a social right.
Medium A: Equal treatment in health information access
Editorial
+0.20
SETL
+0.17
Article presents health information equally accessible to all readers regardless of prior medical knowledge; does not discriminate in reporting the cancer threat to younger populations.
Low A: Free movement within and outside one's country
Editorial
+0.20
SETL
+0.20
Article mentions 'public health event on the National Mall on 1 March 2026 in Washington DC,' implicitly affirming people's ability to gather and move freely for health awareness.
FW Ratio: 50%
Observable Facts
Photo caption references 'Participants attend a public health event to raise awareness about the rise in young adult colorectal cancer cases on the National Mall on 1 March 2026 in Washington DC.'
Inferences
Reference to public gathering for health advocacy signals recognition of freedom of assembly and movement.
Medium A: Participation in cultural/scientific benefits
Editorial
+0.15
SETL
+0.12
Article reports on scientific health information (cancer epidemiology, expert warnings), enabling reader participation in current health science understanding.
FW Ratio: 67%
Observable Facts
Article presents epidemiological data on colon cancer trends, reflecting scientific research findings.
Accessibility compliance (alt text, language markers) supports broad participation in information.
Inferences
Health science reporting enables lay participation in benefits of medical research.
Medium A: Recognition of inherent human dignity in health discourse
Structural
+0.05
Context Modifier
0.00
SETL
+0.22
Site implements HTTPS and HSTS security; tracking infrastructure (-0.2) undermines privacy protections central to dignity; accessibility features (+0.05) support equitable information access.
Medium A: Equal treatment in health information access
Structural
+0.05
Context Modifier
0.00
SETL
+0.17
Free access model ('isAccessibleForFree': true) provides equal structural access; tracking and ad targeting create differential privacy experiences by user profile.
Medium A: Right to security of person through health information
Structural
+0.05
Context Modifier
+0.05
SETL
+0.12
HTTPS and HSTS security headers (+0.05) protect data in transit; extensive tracking infrastructure (-0.2 domain modifier) creates surveillance exposure that undermines security of personal data.
Site implements full alt text coverage (100% per DCP), language attributes, and skip navigation (+0.05), supporting accessibility for diverse learning needs.
High A: Free expression and information about health matters F: Public health as information matter of public concern
Structural
-0.10
Context Modifier
-0.20
SETL
+0.45
Free access and attribution support expression protections; tracking infrastructure and absence of privacy controls undermine readers' freedom to seek health information without surveillance, creating chilling effect on health information seeking.
