While the world often feels heavy with bad news, one clear positive has been the steady rise in cancer survival rates. Advances in medicine have helped many people live longer lives after a diagnosis. Sadly, colon cancer stands out as a troubling exception.
Modern science has made it easier to detect and treat many cancers that once went unnoticed, leading to major improvements in outcomes. Yet for younger adults, colon cancer continues to move in the opposite direction, cutting against years of medical progress.
To better understand what is happening, scientists reviewed mortality data for the five deadliest cancers affecting men and women under 50.
They found that overall cancer deaths in this age group dropped by 44 percent between 1990 and 2023. That decline applied to four of the five most common cancer types.
As a result, colorectal cancer has risen from the fifth deadliest cancer in 1990 to the deadliest today for people under 50. It is now the leading cause of cancer deaths in younger men and the second leading cause in younger women, behind breast cancer, despite long being viewed as a disease of older age.
“They’re considered cancers of aging,” gastrointestinal cancer expert Jeff Meyerhardt MD told Scientific American. “At least in the case of colorectal cancer, the age [of onset] was set for quite a while, until more recently.”
Why are more young people dying from colorectal cancers?
Researchers point to lower rates of early detection as a major reason colorectal cancer is more deadly for younger adults, since early diagnosis plays a critical role in survival.
Younger people are also less likely to seek medical help when they experience warning signs such as bloating, blood in their stool, or painful bowel movements, often assuming the symptoms are caused by something minor.
Routine screening for colorectal cancer usually begins at age 45. That guideline was already lowered by five years due to rising cases in younger adults, but many still develop the disease before screening begins.
What is causing more young people to develop these cancers?
Andrea Cercek, co-director of the Center for Young Onset Colorectal and Gastrointestinal Cancer, explained: “If you think about the typical process for, let’s say, a 22-year-old, the polyp would have had to start, literally, when they were 10.”
Many current theories focus on broad changes over the past three decades, including shifts in diet, lifestyle habits, and exposure to environmental factors such as microplastics.
But Cercek also emphasized the human cost behind the statistics, saying: “What’s happening ‘big picture’ is alarming. But it’s super important to acknowledge that survivorship for a young adult with colorectal cancer is life-changing. It’s incredibly difficult and can be incredibly taxing from an emotional, physical and financial standpoint.”
