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A mysterious rise in colon cancer cases among young and middle-aged Americans is alarming scientists.
Data shows that diagnoses among people under the age of 55 have nearly doubled in 25 years. They make up about a fifth of all diagnoses now compared to 11 percent in 1995.
The American Cancer Society also warned that more cases are being diagnosed when cancer has spread to other parts of the body, where it is more difficult to treat.
Experts aren’t sure what’s behind the change, but unhealthy diets, alcohol consumption and sedentary lifestyles have been blamed for the higher rates.
But this may not explain why other cancers have held steady or continued to decline at the same time in people under 55, the scientists say.
Actor Chadwick Boseman’s death from colon cancer in 2020 at the age of 43 drew further attention to the trend. He played the famous Black Panther.
The graph above shows the rate of colon cancer diagnoses in age groups over time. It shows a clear increase in diagnoses among people ages 20-49 (top right) and a drop in the rate among people ages 50-54 (bottom left). Diagnoses continue to drop in those over 65 years of age. The phrases localized, regional, distant, and unstaged refer to the stage of colon cancer diagnosed
Actor Chadwick Boseman died of colon cancer in 2020 at the age of 43. He played the famous Black Panther (pictured)
Data shows that colon cancer diagnoses have nearly doubled among people under the age of 55 over the past quarter century (file photo)
President Joe Biden has promised to halve cancer deaths in the United States over the next quarter century by channeling funds for diagnosis and treatment.
Colon and rectal cancers are the third most common type in the US and the third leading cause of death in both men and women.
It is most often diagnosed in people 65 to 74 years of age, with warning signs including blood in the stool, abdominal pain, and unintentional weight loss.
But these are often missed in the younger age groups, and doctors believe they are warning signs of another disease.
Dr. Rebecca Segel, the American Cancer Society’s chief scientific officer for surveillance research and lead author, said: “We know that rates are increasing in young people.”
“But it is alarming to see how quickly the entire patient population is getting younger, despite the decline in the overall population.
“The trend toward more advanced disease in people of all ages is also striking and should encourage everyone over the age of 45 to get tested.”
Dr. Kimmie Ng, director of the Young Start Colorectal Cancer Center in Boston, Massachusetts, told the Wall Street Journal: ‘I see so many young patients living really healthy lifestyles who are diagnosed with metastatic colon cancer.
‘There are other environmental exposures that need to be analysed.’
In a report released today, which analyzed data from all 50 states, scientists warned that the rate of colon cancer cases in people age 50 was now nearly 60 per 100,000.
For comparison, between 1975 and 1979 the rate was around 40 per 100,000.
About 43 percent of the diagnoses were in people ages 45 to 49.
Estimates suggested that there would be 19,550 cases of colorectal cancer in people under the age of 50 this year. Some 153,000 are expected in total.
There is also an increase in the number of advanced stages of colon cancer being detected in all age groups.
About 60 percent of diagnoses were brought forward in 2019, the data suggested.
For comparison, this was 52 percent in the mid-2000s and 57 percent in 1995.
Colon cancer is more common in men, with a 33 percent higher rate in the group (41.5 cases per 100,000) compared to women (31.2 per 100,000).
Cancer screening is offered once every decade to look for signs of growth.
In 2021, the eligibility age was lowered from 50 to 45 years amid rising cases in older adults.
But the data shows that only about 20 percent of the younger age groups attend appointments. For comparison, among those ages 50 to 75, about 67 percent attend the tests.
About 64 percent of people diagnosed with colon cancer live about five years after diagnosis, data shows.
But if the cancer is detected at an early stage, it rises to 91 percent. If it has only spread to surrounding tissues or organs, the survival rate is 72 percent.
Colon cancer is often difficult to diagnose because there are no specific symptoms for the disease.
This is compounded by the fact that many doctors believe that young people do not develop colon cancer, which means that they are unlikely to seek out the disease.
Colon cancer is usually treated by surgery to remove the cancerous growth.
In cases where it has spread, patients may also be advised to receive radiation therapy and chemotherapy.
The ACS estimates that about 153,000 cases of colorectal cancer will be detected this year, including 19,500 among those under age 50.
Some 52,550 people are expected to die from the disease.