Colorectal cancer diagnosed before age 50 has climbed 89% in the United States since 2000, and the pace quickened in the most recent years of data, according to research presented at the American College of Gastroenterology's annual meeting. The yearly rate of increase reached nearly 10% between 2021 and 2023.
The finding matters for adults under 45, who are not yet due for routine screening. Younger patients in the analysis were more likely than older adults to be diagnosed after the cancer had spread to distant parts of the body, when treatment becomes far harder.
