Concerning rise in colon cancer deaths is almost entirely among key demographic

Researchers are finally getting to the bottom of a troubling trend.Once considered a disease of older adults, colorectal cancer has now overtaken breast and brain cancers to become the leading cause of cancer deaths among Americans under 50.

But a new study suggests that the burden isn’t spread evenly, finding that deaths among younger adults are overwhelmingly concentrated in one group.Researchers at the American Cancer Society analyzed government data on more than 101,000 adults ages 25 to 49 who died from colon and rectal cancers between 1994 and 2023.Over that 30-year span, the overall death rate rose from about 3 to roughly 4 per 100,000 people in the age group.Once they dug deeper, a stark divide emerged.

The increase was driven almost entirely by people without a four-year college degree.In this group, death rates climbed from about 4 to 5.2 per 100,000, while rates for those with at least a bachelor’s degree held steady at around 2.7 per 100,000.Overall, the gap in death rates between people with a high school education or less and college graduates has nearly doubled since the mid-1990s.Before you hit the course catalog, keep in mind the diploma isn’t acting as a shield.

Education level is closely tied to income and access.People without college degrees are more likely to work lower-paying jobs that don’t offer health insurance or paid time off, making it harder to get preventive care or see a doctor early.Those disadvantages don’t stop at the workplace.

They spill into daily life in ways that can raise disease risk.For example, lower education is linked to poorer health literacy, which can make it harder to understand symptoms and navigate the medical system.People without college degrees are also more likely to live in neighborhoods with higher exposure to environmental pollutants and fewer healthy food options or fitness facilities.On top of that, smoking rates tend to be higher, while financial strain can drive chronic stress, another wel...