Colorectal cancer is now the leading cause of cancer deaths for Americans under the age of 50, according to a paper published last month in JAMA.  

This research backs up a trend that doctors have been seeing for a while now: Colon cancer isn’t just a disease that affects older people. 

Just last week, James Van Der Beek, who played Dawson on “Dawson’s Creek” died of colorectal cancer. He was 48 years old. 

In the past few years, more health organizations have followed the American Cancer Society in lowering the recommended age for colon cancer screenings from 50 to 45 years old. 

And more recently, there’s been a trend online that encourages people to start “fibermaxxing”... which is just a fancy way of telling them to eat more fiber.  

We talk to a doctor about this trend and the symptoms to look out for when it comes to colon cancer. 

Guests: 
Dr. Rachel Issaka, director of the colorectal cancer screening program for the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center and UW Medicine

Related links: 
Leading Cancer Deaths in People Younger Than 50 Years | Breast Cancer | JAMA | JAMA Network
Colorectal Cancer Is Now the Top Cause of Cancer Death in Younger People - WSJ

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

Colorectal cancer is now the leading cause of cancer deaths for Americans under the age of 50,&nbsp;according to a paper&nbsp;published last month in JAMA.&nbsp;&nbsp;
This research backs up a trend that doctors have been seeing for a while now: Colon cancer isn&rsquo;t just a disease that affects older people.&nbsp;
Just last week, James Van Der Beek, who played Dawson on &ldquo;Dawson&rsquo;s Creek&rdquo; <a href="https://apnews.com/article/james-van-der-beek-dead-8668938cf9ee4a4608a0750c0ee3abd3">died of colorectal cancer</a>. He was 48 years old.&nbsp;
In the past few years, more health organizations have followed the American Cancer Society in lowering the recommended age for colon cancer screenings from 50 to 45 years old.&nbsp;
And more recently, there&rsquo;s been a trend online that encourages people to start &ldquo;fibermaxxing&rdquo;... which is just a fancy way of telling them to eat more fiber.&nbsp;&nbsp;
We talk to a doctor about this trend and the symptoms to look out for when it comes to colon cancer.&nbsp;
Guests:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>Dr. Rachel Issaka,&nbsp;director of the colorectal cancer screening program for the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center and UW Medicine</li>
</ul>
Related links:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li><a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2844189?guestAccessKey=5eabd609-08b0-47c7-a738-916c7acdcc37&amp;utm_source=For_The_Media&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=ftm_links&amp;utm_content=tfl&amp;utm_term=012226">Leading Cancer Deaths in People Younger Than 50 Years | Breast Cancer | JAMA | JAMA Network</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.wsj.com/health/healthcare/colorectal-cancer-is-now-the-top-cause-of-cancer-death-in-younger-people-02f08587?mod=hp_lead_pos10">Colorectal Cancer Is Now the Top Cause of Cancer Death in Younger People - WSJ</a></li>
</ul>
Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to&nbsp;<a href="http://kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes">kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes</a>
Soundside&nbsp;is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

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Colorectal cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in young people. We talk to a doctor about this trend, the symptoms to look out for and, yes, fibermaxxing.

Ask a Doctor: All things colon cancer 

Fighting wildland fires is dangerous enough. The smoke exposure, changing conditions and mental health risks can be daunting, for even experienced firefighters.   

But federal wildland firefighters across the country were also wearing pants containing potentially dangerous PFAS chemicals, according to reporting this month from ProPublica. 

Officials at the U.S. Forest Service knew about that risk for years, before it became public knowledge. 

In Washington, fire seasons are starting earlier and lasting longer and just last year, western Washington experienced its largest fire in a generation.

Reporter Abe Streep covered all of this for ProPublica, and he talked with KUOW's Paige Browning.

Related Links

Firefighters Wore Gear Containing “Forever Chemicals.” The Forest Service Knew and Stayed Silent for Years.

“It Feels Impossible to Stay”: The U.S. Needs Wildland Firefighters More Than Ever, but the Federal Government Is Losing Them

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

Fighting wildland fires is dangerous enough. The smoke exposure, changing conditions and mental health risks can be daunting, for even experienced firefighters.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
But federal wildland firefighters across the country were also wearing pants containing potentially dangerous PFAS chemicals, according to reporting this month from ProPublica.&nbsp;
Officials at the U.S. Forest Service knew about that risk for years, before it became public knowledge.&nbsp;
In Washington, fire seasons are starting earlier and lasting longer and just last year, western Washington experienced its largest fire in a generation.
Reporter Abe Streep covered all of this for ProPublica, and he talked with KUOW's Paige Browning.
Related Links
<a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/forest-service-forever-chemical-firefighter-pfas">Firefighters Wore Gear Containing &ldquo;Forever Chemicals.&rdquo; The Forest Service Knew and Stayed Silent for Years.</a>
<a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/wildland-firefighters">&ldquo;It Feels Impossible to Stay&rdquo;: The U.S. Needs Wildland Firefighters More Than Ever, but the Federal Government Is Losing Them</a>
Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to&nbsp;<a href="http://kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes">kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes</a>
Soundside&nbsp;is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

The Forest Service has known for years that "forever chemicals" were in some of the equipment for wildland firefighters.

What the Forest Service knew about PFAS in some gear for wildland firefighters

Every week we talk about the most fascinating stories in the news and what they say about the Pacific Northwest. We call it Front Page.

It’s our chance to talk about the latest news with a rotation of plugged-in journalists and guests, taking a look at the headlines from the weekend and the stories that we'll be following as the week moves forward.

Guest: 
Seattle Times reporter David Kroman

Related stories:
Seattle Seahawks begin sale process, less than 2 weeks after winning Super Bowl - NYT
Katie Wilson promises shelter, focus on public safety in first year of office - Seattle Times
Tension rising over how to spend revenue from proposed WA income tax - Washington State Standard

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

Every week we talk about the most fascinating stories in the news and what they say about the Pacific Northwest. We call it Front Page.
It&rsquo;s our chance to talk about the latest news with a rotation of plugged-in journalists and guests, taking a look at the headlines from the weekend and the stories that we'll be following as the week moves forward.
Guest:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>Seattle Times reporter David Kroman</li>
</ul>
Related stories:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7055565/2026/02/18/seattle-seahawks-sale-paul-allen-estate/">Seattle Seahawks begin sale process, less than 2 weeks after winning Super Bowl - NYT</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/katie-wilson-promises-shelter-focus-on-public-safety-in-first-year-of-office/">Katie Wilson promises shelter, focus on public safety in first year of office - Seattle Times</a></li>
<li><a href="https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/02/17/tension-rising-over-how-to-spend-revenue-from-proposed-wa-income-tax/">Tension rising over how to spend revenue from proposed WA income tax - Washington State Standard</a></li>
</ul>
Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to&nbsp;<a href="http://kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes">kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes</a>
Soundside&nbsp;is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

Every week we talk about the most fascinating stories in the news and what they say about the Pacific Northwest. We call it Front Page.

Front Page: Seahawks for sale, Seattle's mayor on the state of the city, and future state taxes

Professor David Battisti

Former Governor Jay Inslee

Last week, President Trump announced he was overturning the Environmental Protection Agency’s  "endangerment finding.” That finding is a scientific conclusion signed by the EPA in 2009. It determined that greenhouse gases are harmful to people and the environment, and it allowed the EPA to regulate heat trapping emissions like carbon dioxide and methane. 

The current Presidential administration says that climate change is a “hoax” and that environmental regulations hinder the economy.  

Current EPA head Lee Zeldin is praising the move by Trump. Environmental activists and democratic lawmakers took no time to denounce the decision, saying that it will harm public health and lead to intensifying climate change related catastrophes, such as wildfires, heatwaves, and flooding.

And, of course, there’s a court challenge. 

California Governor Gavin Newsom stated that California intends to sue the federal government over this change – potentially leading to a drawn out, years long battle to determine what the EPA can and cannot do when it comes to greenhouse gas regulation. Washington attorney general Nick Brown has promised something similar.

But how could its repeal change climate science and policy in the United States? And what does it mean for Washington?

Guests:
David Battisti - Professor of Atmospheric and Climate Science and Tamaki Endowed Chair at the University of Washington
Former Washington State Governor Jay Inslee

Related stories:
As U.S. abandons climate fight, Washington state feels the heat to do more - KUOW
Trump Administration Erases the Government’s Power to Fight Climate Change - NYT
Future of Washington state’s climate-pollution fund up in the air - KUOW

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

Last week, President Trump announced he was overturning the Environmental Protection Agency&rsquo;s&nbsp; "endangerment finding.&rdquo; That finding is a scientific conclusion signed by the EPA in 2009. It determined that greenhouse gases are harmful to people and the environment, and it allowed the EPA to regulate heat trapping emissions like carbon dioxide and methane.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/12/climate/what-to-know-epa-endangerment-finding.html">The current Presidential administration says that climate change is a &ldquo;hoax&rdquo; and that </a>environmental regulations hinder the economy. &nbsp;
Current EPA head Lee Zeldin is praising the move by Trump. Environmental activists and democratic lawmakers took no time to denounce the decision, saying that it will harm public health and lead to intensifying climate change related catastrophes, such as wildfires, heatwaves, and flooding.
And, of course, there&rsquo;s a court challenge.&nbsp;
California Governor Gavin Newsom stated that California intends to sue the federal government over this change &ndash; potentially leading to a drawn out, years long battle to determine what the EPA can and cannot do when it comes to greenhouse gas regulation. Washington attorney general Nick Brown has <a href="https://www.atg.wa.gov/news/news-releases/ag-brown-condemns-epa-s-illegal-rescission-greenhouse-gas-pollution-endangerment">promised something similar</a>.
But how could its repeal change climate science and policy in the United States? And what does it mean for Washington?
Guests:
<ul>
<li>David Battisti - Professor of Atmospheric and Climate Science and Tamaki Endowed Chair at the University of Washington</li>
<li>Former Washington State Governor Jay Inslee</li>
</ul>
Related stories:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.kuow.org/stories/as-u-s-abandons-climate-fight-washington-state-feels-the-heat-to-do-more">As U.S. abandons climate fight, Washington state feels the heat to do more - KUOW</a><a href="https://www.kuow.org/authors/john-ryan"></a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/12/climate/trump-epa-greenhouse-gases-climate-change.html">Trump Administration Erases the Government&rsquo;s Power to Fight Climate Change - NYT</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.kuow.org/stories/future-of-washington-state-s-climate-pollution-fund-up-in-the-air">Future of Washington state&rsquo;s climate-pollution fund up in the air - KUOW</a><a href="https://www.kuow.org/authors/john-ryan"></a></li>
</ul>
Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to&nbsp;<a href="http://kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes">kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes</a>
Soundside&nbsp;is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

The federal government just took away its own ability to fight climate change,  by ripping apart the legal finding that emissions are bad for human health.

Ask a Doctor: All things colon cancer

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