'A medical crisis'
NBC News • • health
Key Points:
- Deaths from rectal cancer are rising rapidly among younger adults aged 20 to 44, with rates increasing two to three times faster than colon cancer, according to new research using CDC death records from 1999 to 2023.
- If current trends continue, rectal cancer deaths are projected to surpass colon cancer deaths by 2035; colorectal cancer is already the leading cause of cancer death in people under 50.
- Hispanic adults have experienced the steepest rise in rectal cancer mortality, though the reasons behind the increasing rates and tumor aggressiveness remain unclear.
- Experts suggest that factors such as disruptions to the colon microbiome, possibly linked to early-life consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, may contribute, but many younger patients have no known risk factors.
- Early detection is critical as colorectal cancer is curable when found early, yet 75% of patients under 50 are diagnosed at advanced stages, often after a significant delay between symptom onset and diagnosis.
