Expert warns about one of the most alarming trends in cancer and there are often no obvious risk factors

For too long, colorectal cancer has carried the unfortunate label of an “older person’s disease.” It’s a perception that is dangerously outdated and, frankly, costing lives.As someone embedded in the fight against cancer, working to improve outcomes and support patients, I can tell you unequivocally — we must change this narrative now.The rising incidence of colorectal cancer in people under the age of 50 is one of the most alarming trends in modern oncology.What was once rare in young adults is now a painful reality, and we are seeing diagnoses and deaths at increasingly younger ages.This isn’t just a blip on the radar — it’s a profound shift that is real and demands our immediate attention.

It could fundamentally change how we approach screening and conversations about cancer risk.Let’s look at the numbers.While overall colorectal cancer rates are declining in older adults, they are rising sharply in younger populations. Since the mid-1990s, the incidence of colorectal cancer in people under 50 has increased by about 1% to 2% each year.

This isn’t a small statistical anomaly; it means that approximately 1 in 10 colorectal cancer diagnoses are now made in individuals under the age of 50. Even more startling, colorectal cancer is now the leading cause of cancer deaths for men under 50 and the second leading cause for women under 50.These statistics paint a stark picture: younger people are not just getting colorectal cancer more often, they are also succumbing to it at an alarming rate.The current screening guidelines, which recently lowered the age at which to begin screening from 50 to 45, are critical.

But they are just that — guidelines.They are designed for the average-risk individual.What we’re seeing, however, is that “average risk” is no longer a simple, static concept.

For a growing number of young people, waiting until 45 is simply too late. This isn’t about fearmongering — it’s about empowerment through knowledge....