Colorectal cancer's alarming rise in young adults in Minnesota
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Colorectal cancer cases in Minnesotans under 50 have risen by roughly 80% since the early 2000s, per federal data.
Why it matters: Colorectal cancer is now the deadliest cancer for Americans under 50, per new research in JAMA.
By the numbers: In Minnesota, colorectal cancer cases in people under 50 jumped from around 6 per 100,000 people in the early 2000s, to 10.7 in 2022— per NCI and CDC data.
- The five-year average for 2018 to 2022, charted above, was 9.5.
Threat level: Three in four patients in that age group are diagnosed only after the disease has already spread, the American Cancer Society says.
The big picture: While the incidence rates of many other cancers are either stable or going down, the trend for colorectal raises questions about how to better target those who are younger and may be at higher risk.
- While no one's certain what's causing the uptick in this age cohort, "the leading hypothesis is around the environment and ultra-processed foods and something that we're probably eating," said gastroenterologist Austin Chiang.
The bottom line: The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force lowered its recommended starting age for screening from 50 to 45 in 2021, meaning most insurers are now required to cover it starting at that age.