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The rate of colorectal cancer is increasing among younger Americans and is now the leading cause of cancer deaths in adults under the age of 50, according to research published by the American Cancer Society on Monday.
Researchers found that 45 percent of new colorectal cancer diagnoses are occurring in individuals younger than 65, a 27 percent increase from 1995. Meanwhile, rates among older adults have declined over the past decade or so.
An estimated 55,230 patients are expected to die from the disease in 2026, nearly one-third of whom fall within the under-65 demographic, according to the report.
The study found that while overall rectal cancer rates had been declining for all age groups over the past several decades, a surge in colon and rectum tumors in younger adults has contributed to a 1 percent increase between 2018 and 2022.
Scientists have been unable to nail down exactly what explains the demographic shift, though they have identified several non-genetic risk factors that could be influencing the trend.
More than half of early onset colorectal cancers have been linked to modifiable lifestyle factors such as smoking, unhealthy diet, high alcohol intake and physical inactivity, according to the research.
“As these generations age, the CRC burden in these cohorts will continue to swell like a tsunami moving through time, underscoring an urgent need for etiologic research to discover the cause of rising incidence,” the researchers wrote.
Researchers pointed out that the combination of early screenings, preventive education and advances in treatment has mitigated morbidity and mortality rates overall, but further work was needed to help tamp down the surge among those born after the 1950s.
Doctors now recommend that people at average risk of developing colorectal cancer start regular screenings at age 45, continuing until age 75. Higher-risk individuals, such as those with a family history of colorectal cancer or certain types of polyps, are advised to start screening earlier.
Symptoms of colorectal polyps can mimic those of less serious conditions, which is why doctors urge people to get regular colonoscopies.
People should see a doctor if they experience a persistent change in bowel habits, blood in their stool, diarrhea, constipation and abdominal pain, aches or cramps, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
English (US) ·