Source: Fox News
Summary
A recent study by the American Cancer Society found that death rates from colorectal cancer are rising among young adults without a college degree, while remaining stable for those with a bachelor’s degree. The study analyzed data from over 101,000 adults aged 25 to 49 who died from colorectal cancer between 1994 and 2023. The mortality rate for those with a high school education or less increased from 4.0 to 5.2 per 100,000 people, while the rate for those with at least a bachelor’s degree remained flat at approximately 2.7 per 100,000.
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The advice sounds familiar.
Colorectal cancer, once considered a disease of older age, is becoming a crisis for younger adults. The study suggests that the higher death rates are likely driven by differences in the prevalence of risk factors, including obesity, physical inactivity, smoking, and diet, which are “known to be elevated among children and young adults with lower socioeconomic status.” The researchers couldn’t say exactly why college graduates had better outcomes due to limitations in the data.
Colorectal cancer is now the leading cause of cancer death for men under 50 and the second leading cause for women in the same age group.
This study is another example of how health guidance can shift over time, as the USPSTF lowered the recommended screening age from 50 to 45 in 2021.
It’s a reminder that what we know about health today may change tomorrow.
And that’s a pattern we’ve seen before.
