OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — Ryan Shadle remembers his father, Paul; the two were very close.
"He was pretty much the rock to our family. He helped me become the man I am today."
Paul Shadle was diagnosed with stage 4 colorectal cancer at age 44. He was an advocate for screenings and early detection throughout his own cancer battle. Sadly, the disease took his life in February 2021.
Ryan, in memory of his dad, continues what Paul started.
"When he passed, I kind of wanted to take that torch," Shadle said.
He now spreads the word about the importance of colorectal cancer screenings and awareness as an ambassador for the nonprofit, Fight Colorectal Cancer. He focuses on connecting with younger people.
"There’s actually so many people of young age being diagnosed," he said. "It's just affecting a lot of communities you wouldn’t first think about when you think about colorectal cancer."
The American Cancer Society states one in five people diagnosed with colorectal cancer is younger than age 55. It recommends that people who have an average risk get screened at age 45.
Dr. Sean Langenfeld, chief of colorectal surgery at Nebraska Medicine, said he's also seeing the rise in cases.
"Over the last 11-12 years I've noticed a trend in more patients," he said.
Langenfeld also shared he's seeing an uptick in screenings in the wake of COVID-19.
That’s a trend both he and Shadle want to see: more people paying closer attention to symptoms and taking action.
"Part of our big push is trying to make people feel more comfortable talking to their doctor about it," Langenfeld said.
"We want to make sure that those starting to feel those symptoms and signs are getting to where they need to be and getting screened at the right times," Shadle said.
The Great Plains Colon Cancer Task Force is offering free at-home colon cancer test kits, Nebraskans age 45-74 can apply for one on the group's website.
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