Source: Fox News
Summary
A study to be presented at Digestive Disease Week 2026 in Chicago found that rectal cancer deaths are rising at a significantly faster rate than colon cancer among younger Americans. The mortality rates for rectal cancer are growing two to three times faster than those for colon cancer among adults aged 20 to 44. The data suggests that for older millennials, specifically those between the ages of 35 and 44, rectal cancer mortality is projected to escalate through 2035. Researchers analyzed Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) death records from 1999 to 2023 and found that the mortality gap between the two types of cancer is widening across every demographic.
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The advice sounds familiar.
Rectal cancer is becoming a growing problem in younger individuals, with Hispanic adults and residents of Western states experiencing the steepest increases in rectal cancer deaths. The diagnostic delay often experienced by younger patients is a primary concern, with young people being diagnosed with rectal cancers at increasingly younger ages — and often at more advanced, aggressive stages of disease. Current screening strategies may need to be reevaluated, according to the study’s lead author. The findings suggest that rectal cancer is driving much of the increase in colorectal cancers, and it’s likely to worsen over time if changes aren’t made.
It’s not the first time we’ve seen a shift in cancer trends among younger adults.
Author: Evan Null
