New report shows colorectal cancer rising among younger people in U.S.

LOS ANGELES, March 1 (Xinhua) -- Adults across the United States are being diagnosed with colorectal cancer (CRC) at younger ages, with 1 in 5 new cases in people younger than 55 years old, according to a new report published Wednesday by the American Cancer Society (ACS).

The proportion of individuals in the United States diagnosed with advanced-stage colorectal cancer increased from 52 percent in the mid-2000s to 60 percent in 2019, according to the report.

In addition, diagnoses of people under 55 years of age doubled from 11 percent in 1995 to 20 percent in 2019.

There also appears to be an overall shift to more diagnoses of advanced stages of cancer. In 2019, 60 percent of all new colorectal cases among all ages were advanced, according to the report.

In 2023, an estimated 153,020 people will be diagnosed with CRC in the United States, and 52,550 people will die from the disease, according to the ACS.

"We know rates are increasing in young people, but it's alarming to see how rapidly the whole patient population is shifting younger, despite shrinking numbers in the overall population," said Rebecca Siegel, senior scientific director at the ACS, and lead author of the report.

"The trend toward more advanced disease in people of all ages is also surprising and should motivate everyone 45 and older to get screened," Siegel said.

The ACS recommends that people at average risk of colorectal cancer start regular screening at age 45.

CRC is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer and the third leading cause of cancer death in both men and women in the United States, according to the ACS.