A new study shows a big and worrying change in cancer trends among Americans under 50: deaths from most major cancers are going down, but deaths from colon and colorectal cancer are going up, making them the most common cause of cancer death in this younger age group. Researchers looked at data from 1990 to 2023 on the five most common causes of cancer death in people under 50. They found that more than 1.2 million people in this age group died of cancer during that time. In those decades, younger adults died less often from cancers like lung, breast, and other major types. However, colorectal cancer rose from a lower ranking to the top spot for both men and women under 50.
Experts state that people once viewed colorectal cancer primarily as a disease affecting older adults, but this perception no longer holds true as more young people receive diagnoses and succumb to it. Colorectal cancer claimed the top spot as the leading cause of cancer deaths among those under 50 in 2023, surpassing other cancer types. This marks a dramatic shift from three decades prior, when it ranked only fifth among cancer causes in this age group. Researchers and doctors label the trend “alarming” and reject dismissing it as an older adult’s disease.
Meanwhile, more young adults now undergo screening, which detects some cases earlier and boosts survival rates. Yet this effort has not yet curbed the climbing death toll. Patients and advocates demand greater public awareness of symptoms, broader access to screenings, and intensified research into rising cases, particularly among seemingly healthy individuals. Researchers also press primary care doctors to treat persistent abdominal symptoms in younger adults with urgency and to assess colon cancer risk even for patients below conventional screening ages.
Experts in public health say that solving this problem will take a lot of different steps, such as more widespread and earlier screening, changes to people’s lifestyles, and more research into possible causes, which could include diet and obesity as well as environmental and genetic factors. They stress that young adults should not ignore warning signs like unexplained abdominal pain, changes in bowel habits, rectal bleeding, or weight loss that doesn’t make sense. If these symptoms appear, they should see a doctor right away.
