Welcome To
The Mike Tilley Nation Foundation
We hope to advocate for more people under the age of 45 to get screened for colorectal cancer, and to provide more awareness of the symptoms of young-onset colorectal cancer.
Have you been screened for colorectal cancer lately?
MTN's Annual Golf Tournament
The Mike Tilley Nation Foundation will host our 2nd Annual Golf Tournament on Friday August 22, 2025 at Overlook Golf Course in Lancaster, PA.
Tickets include a luncheon before the start of the tournament, and a happy hour gathering after. The scramble format tournament will include awards such as men's and women's longest drive, men's and women's closest to the pin, a putting contest, team prizes, and raffle prizes!
Click the link below to get more information about the Golf Tournament.
Statistics For Young Adults Are Changing
For the first time colorectal cancer is now the leading cause of cancer death in young men.
From the WSJ in 2024:
Colorectal cancer is now first-leading cause of cancer death in men younger than 50 years, and second in women younger than 50.
It was the fourth-leading cause of cancer death in both men and women younger than 50 years in the late-1990s.
Even as overall cancer deaths continue to fall in the U.S., the American Cancer Society is reporting for the first time that colon and rectal cancers have become leading causes of cancer death in younger adults.
The Mike Tilley Nation Foundation hopes to change this trend.
Our goal is to raise awareness of Young Onset Colorectal Cancer, promote self-advocacy, and support early screening for colorectal cancer.
Check in with yourself, and your friends and family so that they know what symptoms of colorectal cancer to look out for. Remember that you are your best advocate.
"What we suspect may be happening is that whatever combination of environmental factors is responsible for this, that it’s likely changing our microbiomes or our immune systems, leading us to become more susceptible to these cancers at a younger age."
Dr. Kimmie Ng, the director of the Young Onset Colorectal Cancer Center at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston
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Our Story
It was the Spring of 2021 and Michael Tilley was working in Philadelphia, preparing for his wedding at the end of June. After months of enduring symptoms and being told by his PCP to make diet and lifestyle changes, Michael Tilley was referred to a GI doctor, who finally referred Michael for a colonoscopy in July 2021.
The discovery of a softball-sized tumor in his colon led to a Colon Cancer diagnosis at the age of 30. Just 3 months later, his cancer had metastasized to the liver. Unfortunately, Michael passed away at the age of 31 on August 29, 2022.
A 2019 study showed that of 1,200 colon cancer patients younger than 50, 67% waited three months to a year to see a doctor for their symptoms. And then they usually had to see at least two doctors before getting the correct diagnosis.
Doctors do not know why cancer, especially colorectal cancer, is becoming more common in younger adults. Some hypothesize that increasing obesity rates, sedentary behavior and unhealthy diets could be playing roles.
"But honestly, the patients we're seeing in clinic often do not fit that profile," said Dr. Kimmie Ng, the director of the Young Onset Colorectal Cancer Center at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. "A lot of them are triathletes and marathon runners. I mean, super healthy people."
Founded in 2022, The Mike Tilley Nation Foundation's core mission is to raise awareness of Young Onset Colorectal Cancer and educate young adults on the symptoms and treatment of Colon Cancer so that we can change these statistics.
Our Mission
At The Mike Tilley Nation Foundation, we feel passionate about our mission to fight and help prevent Young Onset Colorectal Cancer. We believe that with advocacy we can make strides to help people catch this cancer early and improve treatment options.
"How I will beat this cancer is making sure that none of my friends and family get diagnosed with colon cancer. And that's the thing that's most important to me."
-Michael Tilley
Raise Awareness
The main cause here at Mike Tilley Nation Foundation is raising awareness of Colorectal Cancer, particularly in young adults.
Colorectal Cancer used to be very uncommon in young adults, but rates of young-onset colorectal cancer have been rising since the mid-1990s. There was a 51% increase in cases of colorectal cancer in people aged 20-49 from 1994 to 2012. Potentially due to lack of awareness, patients under 50 years of age are 58% more likely than older patients to be diagnosed with a more advanced cancer (Stage III or Stage IV).
Know The Symptoms
Knowing the symptoms of colorectal cancer and understanding your risks of developing it may prevent this cancer from happening to you. Or it could help you or someone you know receive a diagnosis as early as possible so there are the most amount of treatment options.
Tell a doctor if you experience any of the following:
-Bowel movement changes over a couple of weeks (especially if experiencing constipation)
-Unexplained weight loss
-Abdominal pain
-Rectal bleeding / blood in the stool.
Get Screened
One of our goals is to help more people get screened for Colorectal Cancer. Many young adults are being overlooked because screening doesn’t typically begin until age 45, but that is only if you are of average risk and have zero symptoms.
However, if you are presenting symptoms, communicate that with your doctor and advocate for yourself to get screened. Historically it has not been easy for young patients to get approved for a coloscopy, but by advocating for yourself and communicating with the right doctor about your symptoms could save your life. 67% of young-onset colorectal cancer patients said they saw at least 2 physicians before receiving a diagnosis.
Click below to find out other screening methods.
Remove The Age Requirement
Building on our goal of getting more people screened for Colorectal Cancer, we feel that based on the latest data 45 years old is too late to start screening for Colorectal Cancer. This is why we are advocating to lower or remove the screening age requirement. Getting a colonoscopy to be covered by insurance should be based on symptoms, not age.
If you have a family history of colon cancer where your relative was diagnosed before the age of 55, then you have access to early colon cancer screenings!
Typically screenings start 10 years before the age that your relative was when diagnosed. (Ex: If they were 45 at diagnosis, you would be eligible to start cancer screenings at 35.)
We love to support other Colorectal Cancer charity organizations including:
The Trey Mancini Foundation
Fight Colorectal Cancer
The Colorectal Cancer Alliance
Colon Cancer Coalition
Colon Cancer Foundation
PALTOWN
Contact us if you know of an organization we should partner with or if you’d like more information on how to donate or volunteer.
We can all make a change for the better.
What If I Have Symptoms?
Take Action Today!
#1: Set up an appointment with a Gastroenterologist
Research GI doctors in your area to find one that is well-reviewed and also takes your insurance (not always an easy task).
If you are 45 or older, ask for a colonoscopy- because of your age you are eligible for the best colon cancer screening method there is- and on top of that, insurance will cover it completely!
Click Below To Find One With ZocDoc:
#3: Get Bloodwork Done
#1. CEA
A CEA (carcinoembryonic antigen) test measures a specific protein called CEA, which is a protein with a lot of sugars added to it by normal or cancerous cells. Everyone is born with high levels of this protein. CEA decreases as you get older, but some conditions, including certain types of cancer, can increase your blood CEA levels.
Healthy cells also may make tumor markers in very low levels, so a high CEA level doesn't necessarily mean cancer, but an elevated level would be a reason to reach out to a doctor.
#2. Iron
Iron deficiency anemia is common in colorectal cancer patients, and is often one of the first symptoms noticed by patients. Low iron also doesn't necessarily mean cancer, but having low levels of iron would be another good reason to reach out to a doctor.
#4: Get a blood-based cancer test
Cancer screening is a proven way to detect cancer early, when it’s most treatable. Luckily there is blood-based screening test, Shield, which offers a simple blood draw that can screen for cancer at its earliest stage. This test detects colorectal cancer by identifying circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in the blood.
You can request one online, but you will have to have a doctor order it for you. The cost today is $895, but it might be covered by insurance soon.
