SOUTH BEND — New research shows colon cancer is declining overall, but the disease is actually on the rise for people under 50. Scientists say they saw the biggest colon cancer jump in men and women in their 20s.

The worst I ever got sick was maybe a cold once a year,” said Chris Stolk. “I never took off work for being sick.”

Chris said he hadn’t been to a doctor in years. But in 2002 he became anemic, lost weight and was having pains in his side.

He chalked it up to working two jobs, and said he was too stubborn to schedule a doctor's appointment.

“My boss finally called his doctor, set up an appointment for me and said ‘You’re going Tuesday,’” Chris remembered.

A few days later, at 26-years-old, Chris found out he had colon cancer.

“I was stunned. Just overwhelming. It’s like you don’t realize this is happening,” he said.

Dr. Bilal Ansari is the Oncology Director at St. Joseph Regional Medical Center in South Bend.

“Definitely there is some increase that is mostly related to some of the lifestyle changes we have now,” Ansari said.

He also said obesity, sedentary lifestyles and a bad diet — like eating lots of processed foods — may be contributing factors to the slight uptick in colon cancer among younger people.

Don’t let Chris’s story misguide you — colon cancer isn’t just a man’s disease. According to the American Cancer Society, the roughly 106,000 newly diagnosed cases of colon cancer in the United States this year are equally divided among men and women.

Chris said he tries to keep his weight down and exercise a lot. He made a full recovery and is now cancer free.

Now, when anyone complains of an ache or pain, he’s the one pushing them to get it checked out.

“Don't be stubborn,” he said. “Don't put it off. Go see a doctor. Doctors know. They have stuff and can check it out.”

Dr. Ansari said you should have a physical once a year with your family doctor anyway. He recommends both men and women have a colonoscopy when they're 50. But if you have a family history, you should be screened 10 years before the age when your mother or father was diagnosed.

Doctors also don’t want a big rush of people going in for colonoscopies, because they don’t want to cause panic. Instead, they recommend knowing your body and going to your doctor if anything seems out of the ordinary.