Colorectal cancer mostly strikes middle-aged and older people, but new research shows a disturbing rise in cases among young adults.
A recent study by the American Cancer Society is a reminder that while this type of cancer is rare in the young, no one should ignore symptoms just because the person is a 20- or 30-something.
“We think these are very important findings,” said cancer society epidemiologist Rebecca Siegel, who led the research. “We’re not claiming they have a high risk of disease. It’s just increasing rapidly.”
It’s a puzzle about what otherwise has been progress against the nation’s third most common cause of cancer. There are about 135,000 new cases of colorectal cancer each year, the vast majority among people 50 and older. Fewer than 15,000 diagnoses are made annually in people younger than 50.
