Wellness Unmasked Weekly Rundown: Rising Colon Cancer in Young Adults, NIH Ethics Shift & WHO Exit

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

Episode: Wellness Unmasked Weekly Rundown: Rising Colon Cancer in Young Adults, NIH Ethics Shift & WHO Exit
Date: January 29, 2026
Host: Dr. Nicole Saphier
Platform: iHeartPodcasts

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Overview

In this episode of Wellness Unmasked, Dr. Nicole Saphier delivers a focused weekly health rundown spotlighting three headline issues:

1. The alarming rise in colorectal cancer death among Americans under 50
2. The NIH's policy shift away from funding research using fetal tissue from elective abortions
3. The official completion of the U.S. withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO)

She combines medical expertise and direct commentary, aiming to both inform and encourage critical thought about how policy, science, and personal advocacy intersect.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Rising Colon Cancer in Young Adults

[02:56–05:48]

• Colorectal cancer is now the leading cause of cancer death in Americans under 50.
  • This trend challenges the long-standing belief that colon cancer is a disease for older individuals.
• Diagnosis often occurs late in younger patients.
  • Symptoms are too frequently brushed off, by both patients and medical professionals, because of age-based assumptions.
• Symptoms to watch for include unexplained rectal bleeding, abdominal pain, anemia, and unusual fatigue.
• Early detection saves lives.
  • Dr. Saphier encourages self-advocacy—“If something feels off, trust your gut. Literally, advocate for yourself.” (Dr. Nicole Saphier, 04:17)
• Guidelines have shifted:
  • Average-risk individuals are now recommended to start colon cancer screening at 45, rather than 50 or later.
  • Familial risk may warrant even earlier screening.
  • Multiple screening tools exist, not just colonoscopies (e.g., CT, MRI, fecal blood tests).

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2. NIH Policy Shift on Fetal Tissue Research

[05:48–07:14]

• NIH will no longer fund research using fetal tissue from elective abortions, marking a “huge win for conservative advocates.”
• Why it matters:
  • This policy shift is at the crossroads of science, ethics, politics, and religion.
• Proponents’ view:
  • Modern research alternatives (organoids, lab-engineered tissues) have rendered fetal tissue largely unnecessary for current medical advancements.
  • Public funding should reflect evolving ethical norms.
• Opponents’ concern:
  • The ban could slow scientific progress in areas where fetal tissue sometimes still offers unique scientific value.
• Historical context and current reality:
  • Fetal tissue was crucial in mid–20th-century research (e.g., developing vaccines), but today, “most vaccine manufacturing...do[es] not require ongoing fetal tissue.”
  • Contemporary research overwhelmingly utilizes adult stem cells, organoids, animal models, and AI-driven simulations.
• Overall take:
  • Dr. Saphier frames the change as positive and overdue:

    “Maybe this should have been done a while ago. Let’s not make this political. Why don’t we just celebrate the fact that we continue to advance in modern medicine?...I see this as a big win, and maybe it’s overdue.” (Dr. Nicole Saphier, 07:13)

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3. U.S. Official Exit from the WHO

[07:14–08:48]

• The United States has formally completed its withdrawal from the World Health Organization.
• Broader context:
  • The WHO’s role in global health includes disease surveillance and emergency response.
• Sharp critique of the WHO’s COVID response:

  • Dr. Saphier accuses the organization of being “complicit...in allowing the virus to go unchecked throughout China and Taiwan,” referencing whistleblowers and close ties to the Chinese Communist Party.

    “But the World Health Organization essentially were in cahoots, it felt like, with the Chinese Communist Party at that time, to ensuring that this news did not get out because it would have been poorly reflected upon when it came to China.” (Dr. Nicole Saphier, 08:19)

  • She references a chapter in her book “Panic Attack” for deeper background on the WHO's tumultuous history.

• Personal stance:
  • While acknowledging the utility of international cooperation, she finds the U.S. exit justified:

    “It’s okay that we’re taking a strong stance because they have certainly failed us.” (Dr. Nicole Saphier, 08:44)

  • Emphasizes that global health impacts local health and policy must reflect lessons from failures.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On early detection:

  “Early detection saves lives. If something feels off, trust your gut. Literally, advocate for yourself.”
  (Dr. Nicole Saphier, 04:15)

• On new screening guidelines:

  “There is a reason that we are now recommending people at average risk for colon cancer starting to get screened at the age of 45...If you have a family member who has had colon cancer, you may be eligible for screening even younger than 45.”
  (Dr. Nicole Saphier, 04:44)

• On the NIH policy shift:

  “Why don’t we say, you know what, maybe this should have been done a while ago. Let’s not make this political.”
  (Dr. Nicole Saphier, 07:13)

• On the WHO withdrawal:

  “Health isn’t siloed, everyone. Let’s remember what happens globally does affect us locally. So while I don’t want to completely sever ties with the [WHO], it’s okay that we’re taking a strong stance because they have certainly failed us.”
  (Dr. Nicole Saphier, 08:44)

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Important Segment Timestamps

• [02:56] — Dr. Nicole Saphier opens the weekly rundown
• [03:16] — Colorectal cancer is now the top cancer killer in Americans under 50
• [04:15] — Early detection message and screening guideline update
• [05:48] — NIH ends funding for fetal tissue from elective abortions
• [07:13] — Summary/opinion on NIH’s move, modern alternatives
• [07:14] — U.S. officially completes withdrawal from the WHO
• [08:19] — Critique of WHO’s COVID response and reference to “Panic Attack”
• [08:44] — Closing thoughts on global versus local health

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Podcast Tone & Style

Dr. Nicole Saphier’s delivery balances urgent public health messaging (“trust your gut. Literally, advocate for yourself”) with measured, reasoned commentary on policy developments. She avoids alarmism, focusing instead on practical advice and fostering informed, proactive health decisions among her audience.

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Conclusion

This episode offers a brisk yet insightful summary of three major health and policy stories. Dr. Saphier urges listeners to take personal responsibility for their health, remain alert to policy shifts that influence scientific progress, and understand the importance of adapting health guidelines in step with new research and global developments. Her tone is informative, measuredly optimistic, and encourages engagement beyond the headlines.

Transcript

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[Dr. Nicole Safire]

Welcome to wellness unmass. I'm Dr. Nicole Safire. This is your weekly rundown. Well, we have a few things to talk about today. I'm back from vacation, back in the hospital, and I am ready to update you on some things that came out this week. First up, new reporting shows colorectal cancer is now the leading cause of cancer death in Americans under 50.

[Tony Robbins]

So?

[Dr. Nicole Safire]

So let that sink in for a second. For decades, we thought of colon cancer as a disease of the older of people who have aged, something to worry about later in life. That's no longer true. What's especially concerning is that many of these younger patients are being diagnosed late. Symptoms get brushed off by patients, but also sometimes by their doctors because, I don't know, you're too young for colon cancer, right? That's what we think. That's what we hear. Things like rectal bleeding, abdominal pain, unexplained anemia, fatigue greater than usual. I know we're all tired. These are not normal, no matter what your age is. So here's the takeaway. I really want people to hear this. Early detection saves lives. If something feels off, trust your gut. Literally, advocate for yourself. This rise did not happen overnight, and it's not due to one single cause. Lifestyle, diet, inflammation, environment, it's all contributing. And it's complicated. Ignoring symptoms is something we can change right now. There is a reason that we are now recommending people at average risk for colon cancer starting to get screened at the age of 45. No longer 50, no longer 55. And by the way, if you have a family member who has had colon cancer, you may be eligible for screening even early, younger than 45. And by the way, I know colonoscopies, they don't sound fun. We also have other screening tools. We have CT scans, we have MRI scans. We also have fecal blood tests to see if there's any blood in your stool. So don't let Being afraid or the sound of a colonoscopy scare you off. Early detection saves lives. All right, so now let's shift to another topic. The NIH has announced it will no longer fund research using fetal tissue from elective abortions. This is a huge win for conservative advocates. Now, this is a significant change, and it's one that obviously sits at the intersection of science, ethics, politics, religion. It encompasses it all. Supporters argue that modern alternatives like organoids and lab engineered tissue models make fetal tissue unnecessary and that taxpayer dollars should reflect these ethical boundaries. Now, critics on the other side worry that cutting off this research might slow progress in certain areas where fetal tissue historically has helped advance, treat. Now, here's why this matters to you. Policy decisions, they shape the science that gets done. Research doesn't exist in a vacuum. What we fund determines what questions get answered and how quickly. So what is my opinion on this? That's a really good question. Human fetal tissue played a role Primarily in the mid 20th century research, especially for understanding human development, developing early vaccines, and studying how certain viruses can infect human cells. Most vaccine manufacturing today do not require ongoing fetal tissue, and they usually use immortalized cell lines that were either created decades ago, so not new tissue, or they use some of their biologic. Today in modern medicine, there still is a direct reliance on newly obtained fetal tissue, but it's very, very limited because most research has shifted to using adult stem cells, other sorts of stem cells, organoids, which are essentially little mini organs grown in a lab, animal models, and that's right, computer modeling and AI driven simulation. So for many of the areas like cancer, heart health, brain health, infectious disease, all of that, they have already moved past using human fetal tissue, and it's really just no longer essential at all. So before everybody gets all worked up and everyone's huffing and puffing and posting on social media, why don't we say, you know what, maybe this should have been done a while ago. Let's not make this political. Why don't we just celebrate the fact that we continue to advance in modern medicine? I see this as a big win, and maybe it's overdue. Lastly, the US has officially completed its withdrawal from the World Health Organization. Now, for some people, this may have been long overdue. Now, it's more than just bureaucratic drama because there can be some consequences. But we have to remember the WHO played a major role not just in global disease surveillance, that's what they're tasked with doing. But let's also remember what happened during COVID They were complicit when it came to allowing the virus to go unchecked throughout China and Taiwan. Even after people were sounding the alarm, you had whistleblowers come forth. But the World Health Organization essentially were in cahoots, it felt like, with the Chinese Communist Party at that time, to ensuring that this news did not get out because it would have been poorly reflected upon when it came to China. I wrote an entire chapter on this topic, the World Health Organization and how not only how they responded with COVID but the tumultuous history of the WHO in my book Panic Attack. That's all the time we have for today's weekly rundown. But if you want to really do a deep dive into some of the history of the World Health Organization and why I'm okay with this shakeup happening right now with the US Funding, you can just check out Panic Attack. Health isn't siloed, everyone. Let's remember what happens globally does affect us locally. So while I don't want to completely sever top with the World Health Organization, it's okay that we're taking a strong stance because they have certainly failed us. Thanks so much for listening to wellness unmasked. I'm Dr. Nicole Safire. Make sure to listen to Wellness unmasked on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts, and I'll see you next week.

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