A Huntington man is crediting his first colonoscopy for saving his life.

Vincent Tosti was diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer in 2019. His doctor said his tumor was the size of an apple. It was detected when Tosti was 49 with no family history of colon cancer.

The American Cancer Society says the number of Americans diagnosed with colon cancer below the age of 50 has increased every year since the 1990s.

"Over 100,000 people will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer this year," said NYU Langone Health colorectal surgeon Dr. Toyooki Sonoda. "It'll be over 50,000 people that will die from this disease, but it doesn't have to be that way."

Doctors are encouraging screening at age 45 or younger for some. Dr. Sonoda says not to wait for symptoms before getting checked.

Tosti underwent chemotherapy, radiation and surgery to remove his tumor. He has been cancer free since 2020.

"The screenings are what really saved me life," Tosti said. "People don't like to go for the screenings based on the prep work that you have to do. But honestly, if I never would've gone for the screening I don't know if I'd be sitting here today."

To learn more about risk factors and screening, click here.