At 44, Michigan dad Sean Stalker was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer, a year before routine screening begins for people at average risk. ClickOnDetroit reported that he had been working out four days a week and felt strong, but repeated urgent-care visits for unusually severe abdominal pain in 2023 led to months of testing and, eventually, a colonoscopy that found the cancer.
Stalker was 44 years old at the time, just one year shy of the age when routine colorectal cancer screening typically begins for people at average risk, according to ClickOnDetroit. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force lowered its recommended starting age for average-risk screening from 50 to 45 back in May 2021, according to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Stalker's case fell just below that updated threshold, and by the time he got his colonoscopy, doctors found several tumors that required surgical removal before he began chemotherapy.
ClickOnDetroit reported that Stalker experienced sudden weight loss and severe abdominal pain before his diagnosis. After doctors removed the tumors, he began treatment and chemotherapy. He is now approaching three years cancer-free, the station’s report notes.
A Nonprofit Born From a Family's Fight
ClickOnDetroit reported that Stalker and his wife, Danielle, started End The Trend after his diagnosis. The nonprofit focuses on colorectal cancer awareness, screening and prevention through programs, fundraisers and golf outings, and connects people with education and resources. Stalker has said the organization aims to reverse the trend of younger adults suffering and dying from the disease.
That mission reflects a documented national shift. Colorectal cancer has become the leading cause of cancer death in men under 50 and the second leading cause in women under 50 in the United States, according to the American Cancer Society. Roughly 75% of colorectal cancer cases in adults under 50 are diagnosed at an advanced stage, the organization's surveillance data show, a pattern that fits Stalker's own late discovery.
Rising Cases in the Young, Falling Cases in the Old
The trends differ by age. American Cancer Society research found that colorectal cancer incidence among U.S. adults under 50 rose by 3% annually, while incidence among adults 65 and older fell by 2.5% per year, according to the society’s cancer research news division. A 2026 study by American Cancer Society researchers in JAMA found that overall U.S. cancer mortality among people under 50 fell 44% from 1990 to 2023. Colorectal cancer was the exception among the leading cancer killers in that age group: its mortality rate increased by 1.1% per year beginning in 2005.
Michigan's own numbers echo the national trend. Between 2011 and 2018, more than half of all colon cancer cases diagnosed in the state were caught in late stages, according to Michigan Department of Health and Human Services data cited by MIBlueDaily. Health system data published on PubMed show that only about 61.8% of eligible Michigan adults are up to date on colorectal cancer screenings, well short of the national target rate of 80%.
Screening Uptake Still Lags Behind Updated Guidelines
Even among the newly eligible, adoption has been slow. A national survey analysis published in 2026 found that only 22.5% of adults aged 45 to 49 had initiated colorectal cancer screening following the 2021 guideline change, according to research posted on PubMed. The American Cancer Society highlights five warning signs younger adults should watch for: persistent bowel habit changes, blood in the stool, unexplained abdominal pain or cramping, sudden weight loss, and chronic fatigue — several of which Stalker experienced before his diagnosis.
What the screening age does—and doesn’t—mean
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force says its routine screening recommendation covers asymptomatic adults 45 and older at average risk. That age threshold is not a reason to delay diagnostic evaluation when symptoms are present, and the recommendation does not cover people outside its stated average-risk population. Adults ages 45–49 account for half of colorectal cancer diagnoses among people under 50, according to the American Cancer Society.
Stalker now encourages people to discuss colorectal cancer screening with a doctor, and says those with symptoms or a family history of cancer may need evaluation before age 45. Doctors can explain which screening option is appropriate for a given patient, he notes, pointing to conversation as the first step rather than waiting for symptoms to worsen.
Golf Outing Raises Tens of Thousands for Research
ClickOnDetroit reported that End The Trend held its annual charity golf outing on Thursday, October 1, at the Links of Novi, raising money for the Colorectal Cancer Alliance, cancer research and young adult advocacy. The nonprofit has raised about $60,000 over the past two years through the event. Founded in 1999, the Colorectal Cancer Alliance operates as the nation’s largest nonprofit organization dedicated to colorectal cancer support and research, according to background compiled on the organization’s own site.
Stalker has said his diagnosis affected not just his own health but Danielle and their young family as a whole — a reality that drives the couple's continued advocacy work. Nearly three years removed from his stage 4 diagnosis and now cancer-free, Stalker continues to push the same message: early detection saves lives, and the conversation with a doctor shouldn't wait for a milestone birthday.
