Friday, July 11, 2025 - Early-onset colorectal cancer is reportedly on the rise worldwide, and Millennials are facing the brunt of it.
A study published in the British Journal of Surgery found
that people born in 1990 are twice as likely to develop colon cancer and four
times more likely to develop rectal cancer than those born in 1950. This
alarming trend comes as rates of early-onset colorectal cancer — defined as
cases diagnosed before age 50 — have surged in the US since the mid-1990s.
Traditionally seen as a disease of older adults, colorectal
cancer is now increasingly striking people in their 20s, 30s, and 40s. The rise
has been so dramatic that colorectal cancer is now the leading cause of
cancer-related death among men under 50 and the second-leading cause for women
under 50 in the US.
Part of the danger is that many patients and doctors still
view colorectal cancer as an older person’s disease, leading to later diagnoses
when the cancer is harder to treat. Younger patients often require more
aggressive treatment and face added challenges — including financial hardship,
concerns about fertility, anxiety, sexual dysfunction, and body image
struggles.
Recent CDC data revealed a staggering 185% increase in
colorectal cancer among people aged 20 to 24, and a 333% rise among teens aged
15 to 19. Similar spikes are being seen across high-income countries; a review
of 20 European nations showed a marked rise in early-onset cases from 2004 to
2016.
“The incidence of GI cancers in adults younger than 50 is
rising globally,” said lead researcher Sara Char, emphasizing the need for more
studies into the biology of these cancers to improve screening and prevention
In response, the US Preventive Services Task Force lowered
the recommended age to start screening from 50 to 45 in 2021. But new research
from Taiwan suggests starting even earlier, at 40, could cut cases by 21% and
deaths by nearly 40% compared to starting at 50.
Certain groups are hit especially hard. Early-onset
colorectal cancer rates are highest among Native Americans, followed by
Hispanic, Black, and Asian populations. One analysis showed that 16.5% of
American Indians/Alaska Natives, 15.4% of Hispanics, 12% of Asians/Pacific
Islanders, and 11.9% of Black patients were diagnosed before age 50 — compared
to just 6.7% of non-Hispanic white patients.
Experts link the surge to factors like obesity, sedentary lifestyles, Western diets high in sugar and processed foods, and environmental pollutants. A 2019 study found that women with a BMI over 30 had nearly double the risk of developing early-onset colorectal cancer.
More
recently, a groundbreaking 2025 study pointed to colibactin — a toxin produced
by certain strains of E. coli — as a potential culprit, suggesting exposure in
childhood may set the stage for cancer decades later.
“It’s pretty alarming,” said Dr. Coral Olazagasti of the
University of Miami, noting the clear shift in cancer demographics. “In the
past, we thought of cancer as a disease of the elderly. Now we’re seeing people
diagnosed younger and younger.”
The CDC projects that by 2030, early-onset colorectal cancer
will become the top cancer-related killer of people aged 20 to 49.
0 Comments