Columbia-based Boone Health says colorectal cancer has surged in the past several years, especially in younger adults.
Patients and visitors at Columbia’s Boone Hospital saw an inflatable colon in the main lobby on Tuesday, to raise awareness of the issue. Boone Hospital registered nurse Angel Mahan also works in the GI lab:
“We actually had a patient recently my age 33 … she said she woke up when she was 31 on her son’s first birthday in excruciating pain. Healthy as can be, no family history. Ran marathons and when she came in it was already stage three,” Mahan says.
She tells 939 the Eagle that the patient is now in full remission and returns for annual colonoscopies. Mahan recommends living a healthy lifestyle, eating more fruits and vegetables, avoiding processed meats and screening regularly at age 45.
Boone Health says colorectal cancer is projected to be the second-leading cause of cancer death overall nationwide in 2026. Patients and visitors at Boone Hospital saw an inflatable colon in the main lobby on Tuesday, providing an opportunity for the public to speak to doctors about the deadly disease. Registered nurse Mahan gave 939 the Eagle News a tour of the inflatable colon:
“These are what we call polyps. It’s just an overgrowth in the colon. Most of the time it’s benign, so it’s noncancerous. However they will biopsy it every time and sometimes it does come back cancerous,” says Mahan.
Boone Health says an estimated 159,000 new cases of colorectal cancer and 55,000 deaths are expected in 2026. Medical professionals were on-hand on Tuesday at Boone to help people schedule colonoscopies.
Click here to listen to 939 the Eagle’s Brian Hauswirth and a KOMU Channel 8 reporter speak to Boone Hospital registered nurse Angel Mahan on March 17, 2026 at the inflatable colon: