For decades, colorectal cancer was largely viewed as a disease of later life. But that picture is changing in a way cancer researchers can no longer ignore. In the United States, colorectal cancer is now the leading cause of cancer death among people younger than 50, according to American Cancer Society researchers. At the same time, the disease is becoming less common among older adults, creating a striking divide by age.
The numbers are particularly concerning among people in their 20s, 30s and 40s. Between 2013 and 2022, colorectal cancer incidence increased by about 3% a year among adults aged 20 to 49, while rates among people 65 and older continued to fall. And researchers still cannot point to one clear reason.
