Exclusive | I got stage 4 colorectal cancer at 34 the symptom I dismissed as a common mom issue

Irritable bowel syndrome affects up to 45 million Americans, so when Sara Beran found herself frequently racing to the bathroom, she assumed she was just another case.The otherwise healthy 34-year-old dealt with the issue for more than a year and a half before her life came to a screeching halt with a gut-wrenching diagnosis: stage 4 colorectal cancer.With a husband, two young children and a thriving small business on the line, Beran knew there was only one option: fight.“I had to beat it,” she told The Post.

“There was no other choice.”Excluding skin cancers, colorectal cancer ranks as the third most common cancer in the United States, according to the American Cancer Society.Once thought to primarily affect older adults, it’s now surging among younger populations, with diagnoses in people under 50 expected to double by 2030. ​Even more alarming, younger adults like Beran are often diagnosed at more advanced stages, when the disease is harder to treat and survival rates plummet.

As a result, it’s now the deadliest cancer for men under 50 and the second deadliest for women in the same age group.In April 2020, Beran was a busy mom juggling the demands of a 3-year-old and a 5-year-old while working as a stylist.“I had a super healthy, active lifestyle, but I’ve always had a bit of stress and anxiety,” she said.While she often felt exhausted, she attributed it to the chaos of family life and the pressures of her career.When blood started appearing sporadically in her stool, Beran shrugged it off, figuring it was nothing more than IBS or maybe hemorrhoids. “I had two babies, so that’s very common,” she said.

Beran also noticed her stool was thinner than usual, but without stomach cramps or other alarming symptoms, she didn’t think much of it. But when the blood persisted, Beran decided to visit her primary care doctor.The doctor assured her it was likely nothing to worry about, but acknowledged that colon cancer was becoming more common...