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HEBER CITY — Brinlee Luster and her twin sister, Mariela Luster, are inseparable. They went to college together, studied the same major, met their husbands on the same day and got married two months apart.
"You just have this bond unlike any other," Mariela Luster said.
But something they didn't share — a cancer diagnosis.
"Having her go through something that I couldn't go through, and I couldn't experience was just so hard," Mariela Luster said.
Two years ago, at age 21, Brinlee Luster started experiencing puzzling symptoms.
"I was having severe abdominal cramping," she said. "I remember going on a hike and I was just out of breath. I was so fatigued, so tired."
Doctors initially attributed her symptoms to irritable bowel syndrome, anxiety or her birth control.
"I just thought, you know, I'm stressed, I'm planning my wedding, I'm about to graduate college, there's a lot of changes," Brinlee Luster said.
But when her symptoms worsened, she went in for a colonoscopy.
Her results turned her life upside down.
"I don't think anything can prepare you for that moment when you're told you have cancer," she said.
Brinlee Luster was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer and underwent 30 rounds of chemotherapy and several surgeries.
"As a young adult, like right at the brink of where my life was accelerating, I had to slow down and watch everyone else go forward, and that was really hard," she said.
According to the American Cancer Society, since 2020, there has been a 9% increase in colon cancer diagnoses in people under 50.
"There really is unfortunately no such thing as too young for colon cancer. About 1 in 7 of the patients in my practice with colon cancer are under the age of 45," said Dr. Mark Lewis, a cancer survivor and director of gastrointestinal oncology at Intermountain Health.
Lewis said this could be due to lifestyle factors, genetics or certain medications.
"Antibiotics in childhood and in adulthood can affect the bacteria that line the colon," he said. "We're being very, very careful about prescribing antibiotics to young people because we do know there is at least a slight increased risk for colon cancer decades later."
Symptoms of colorectal cancer include abdominal pain, unintentional weight loss, changes in bowel movements like diarrhea, or blood in the stool.
Though it may be uncomfortable, Lewis said bringing up concerns to a provider can make all the difference.
"If you are willing to talk to your doctor about your gut health, I promise you we are going to be better at finding colon cancer sooner," he said.
Brinlee Luster finished her last round of chemo in December and is in remission.
Mariela Luster has since had a colonoscopy, where they removed polyps.
"I like to think that she really did save my life in a way because I was headed down that route," Mariela Luster said.
The twins created "The Port Studio," a line of comfortable sweatshirts with IV access for people going through chemo. They also started a podcast called "Live Today."
"It's been so healing for us to work on together," Mariela Luster said.
"I don't want to hide that I had cancer," Brinlee Luster said. "Sharing your story is uncomfortable, but I want to be able to share it so that people can be inspired. There's always room for hope."
National guidelines recommend people begin colorectal screening at age 45. If you are younger than 45 and are experiencing any abnormal symptoms, talk to your doctor. Intermountain Health also offers home-based tests for colon cancer screening.
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