Following decades of decline, rectal cancer is significantly increasing in all adult age groups.
As reported by the American Cancer Society, researchers discovered rectal cancer incidence surged by 1% per year from 2018 to 2022.
And among all colorectal cancer diagnoses, rectal cancer now accounts for nearly 1/3, which is up from about 1/4 in the mid-2000s.
These rectal cancer raises are also driving numbers of overall colon cancer in adults under 65, the report found.
Scientists stated colorectal cancer incidence is increasing 3% per year in people 20 to 49 and 0.4% in those 50 to 64.
Senior vice president of surveillance Ahmedin Jemal stated, "It's clear that colorectal cancer can no longer be called an old person’s disease."
"We must double down on research to pinpoint what is driving this tsunami of cancer in generations born since 1950."
The study discovered that youngsters are also getting diagnosed at advanced stages; nearly three out of four adults under 50 with colorectal cancer are diagnosed when the disease has already progressed.
Colorectal cancer is said to be the most common reasons of cancer-related deaths in people under the age of 50, as per American Cancer Society.
Lead author Rebecca Siegel stated, “We need to not only significantly increase research efforts to understand the cause but also circumvent these deaths through earlier detection by educating clinicians and the general public."
As per ACS Cancer Facts & Figures 2024 report, nearly 55% of colorectal cancers may be traced to several risk factors, such as lack of exercise, excessive smoking and alcohol consumption, excess body weight, and more.
