Colon Cancer Misdiagnosed as Hemorrhoids in Young Engineer

Paige Seifert, a 24-year-old engineer from Denver, Colorado, recalls the moment she was diagnosed with colon cancer as a visceral shock. She had ignored blood in her stool for months, convinced it was hemorrhoids. 'My heart dropped when they told me I had cancer,' she said. The warning signs had been there for six months, but her doctor dismissed her concerns, assuring her it was unlikely to be anything serious. 'I was too young for it to be cancer,' she recounted. 'They thought it was hemorrhoids.'

Hemorrhoids, which occur when blood vessels in the anal canal swell due to pressure from constipation, pregnancy, or heavy lifting, are common but not always harmless. Yet for Seifert, the condition was a red herring. Her symptoms persisted, and she sought medical advice twice in August 2024. Each time, her concerns were downplayed. It wasn't until January 2025, when she finally saw a gastroenterologist, that a colonoscopy revealed a tumor in her colon. 'As soon as he went in, he saw the tumor and knew it was cancer,' she said.

The disease that claimed her life had also taken James Van Der Beek, the actor best known for his role in *Dawson's Creek*. Van Der Beek, who died at 48 in 2026, had dismissed his own symptoms as a result of drinking coffee. His story, like Seifert's, underscores a growing crisis: colorectal cancer is surging among young people in Britain and globally. In the UK alone, 44,000 people are diagnosed with the disease each year, and 17,000 die from it. The first signs are often subtle: changes in bowel habits, blood in the stool, fatigue, or unexplained weight loss.

Seifert's diagnosis came as stage three cancer, a classification that means the disease had spread beyond the colon but not to distant organs. 'I was at a ski competition with my friends when I checked my phone and saw the results,' she said. 'I felt sick to my stomach. My mind immediately went to, 'Am I going to die?'' Her parents, who live on the other side of the country, struggled with the emotional weight of the news. 'It was stressful for them, but they traveled out as much as they could,' she added.

Treatment began in February 2025, with 12 rounds of chemotherapy. Midway through, doctors paused the regimen to remove the tumor and a foot-long section of her colon in July. 'After the operation, I started treatment again and completed it two weeks ago,' she said. A week later, scans showed the tumor was gone. 'The recurrence markers are negative,' she confirmed. 'I have a sense of relief, but only for a moment. Getting cancer at 24 feels like I'm bound to get it again.'

Despite the lingering fear, Seifert credits her active lifestyle with helping her through the ordeal. 'If I were having a down day, I would go and play sports,' she said. 'I don't know where I would be without it.' Her love of skiing and mountain climbing has become a lifeline, even as she grapples with the physical and emotional toll of treatment. 'There are still complications,' she admitted. 'Even if the cancer has gone, there is still sickness I have to deal with.'

Seifert's journey has become a cautionary tale for young people. Her experience mirrors Van Der Beek's, highlighting how easily symptoms can be dismissed as benign. 'I genuinely believe that my active lifestyle helped me get through the last year,' she said. For others, her story is a reminder that cancer does not discriminate by age—and that early detection could mean the difference between life and death.