US EditionGenetic testing IDs higher risk for colorectal cancer
- Colorectal cancer, the third most common cancer in the U.S., is increasingly diagnosed in younger adults under 50, with a nearly 300% increase in patient portal searches for "colonoscopy" between 2022 and 2024, prompting concern among health experts.
- While traditionally affecting older adults, this shift is characterized by a rise in both colon and, particularly, rectal cancer cases among younger individuals, with some patients being diagnosed as young as their early 20s despite having no family history or other medical issues.
- Symptoms of colorectal cancer include changes in bowel habits, abdominal pain, unintended weight loss, fatigue, and blood in the stool, though many may not experience symptoms until the cancer has progressed, which can lead to delays in care and more advanced diagnoses.
- Doctors are exploring potential causes such as increased sedentary lifestyles, dietary changes, and even antibiotic use, while emphasizing that many early-onset colorectal cancers have sporadic occurrences without genetic predisposition, and environmental factors may also play a role.
- Due to the rising rates of colorectal cancer in younger populations, the American Cancer Society recommends screening for those at average risk to begin at age 45, and for those with symptoms or a family history of gastrointestinal cancers, health experts stress the importance of early detection through colonoscopies or at-home stool tests, along with adopting a healthy lifestyle including a balanced diet, regular exercise, and avoiding smoking and excessive alcohol consumption.
22 Articles
22 Articles
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Genetic testing IDs higher risk for colorectal cancer
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Experts recommend lower age for colorectal cancer screening
Colorectal cancer is no longer a disease of older people. People in their 50s, 40s and younger are increasingly being diagnosed with cancers of the colon and rectum. Incidence rates increased by about 2% per year in people younger than 50 during the past decade, according to the American Cancer Society. In 2019, 20% of colorectal cancers were in people aged 54 years or younger, up from 11% in 1995.
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