Colorectal cancer has emerged as a devastating threat to a generation that shouldn’t be facing it. An estimated 154,000 people in the U.S. will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2025, with 1 in 5 cases occurring in people under 55 [4]. The five-year survival rate for localized colorectal cancer stands at an encouraging 91%, but plummets to just 16% when the cancer has spread to distant organs [6]. Stage 3 colorectal cancer, which Van Der Beek battled, has a five-year survival rate of approximately 65% [10]. Prevention is possibleExperts estimate that approximately 50% of colorectal cancer cases are preventable through lifestyle modification [11].

Source: New York Times February 16, 2026 15:03 UTC