Colorectal cancer increasing in young adults

Colorectal cancer 
rates are lower for 
most people, but up 
for young adults –
photo: NIH archives

CANCER DIGEST – Nov. 7, 2011 – The number of people aged 20-34 with colorectal cancer increased by nearly 2 percent from 1975 to 2010, but declined overall by a little less than 1 percent.

Using data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) colorectal cancer registry, researchers from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center analyzed trends in four age ranges of 393,241 patients diagnosed with colon or rectal cancer from 1975 through 2010. The study was published in the current issue of JAMA Surgery.

The study results indicate that the rate of colorectal cancer declined by 1.03 percent in men and 0.91 percent in women. The biggest decline was 1.15 percent in patients 75 years or older, while the rate for patients 50 to 74 years dropped 0.97 percent. However the CRC incidence rates increased 0.41percent in patients 35 to 49 years, with the biggest increase of 1.99 percent in patients 20 to 34 years old.

In an editorial in the same journal, Dr. Kiran Turaga, of the Medical College of Wisconsin pointed out that it is important to note that the absolute incidence of colorectal cancer in young adults (20-34) is 1 percent of the total number of those diagnosed with colorectal cancer.

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