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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Hannah Harris Green

Colon cancer now leading cause of cancer deaths under 50 in US

people hold signs that say 'colorectal cancer is the #1 cancer killer among young people' and 'fund research save lives'
Participants attend a public health event to raise awareness about the rise in young adult colorectal cancer cases on the National Mall on 1 March 2026 in Washington DC. Photograph: Leigh Vogel/Getty Images for Fight Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer is now the leading cause of cancer death in the US for people under 50, according to a new analysis from the American Cancer Society, prompting both experts and those in that age group with the disease to warn others to take certain symptoms seriously.

Becca Lynch, who works in cyber security in Denver, Colorado, was diagnosed with advanced colon cancer last year, when she was just 29. At first, she assumed her symptoms couldn’t be anything serious: “I chalked it up to stress,” she said.

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