New research shows higher colorectal cancer deaths among young in NE Great Lakes region

New research from the Cleveland Clinic shows newly identified hotspots (red circles)
young-onset colorectal cancer – Image credit Cleveland Clinic

CANCER DIGEST – July 9, 2022 – Young people are dying of colorectal cancer in greater numbers in the Midwest and northeastern Great Lakes region of the US, according to a new study by the Lerner Research Institute and the Center for Young-Onset Colorectal Cancer at the Cleveland Clinic.

The findings add to a better understanding of what might be driving a steady rise in colorectal cancer occurrence and mortality in people under age 50. The study was published in the June 18, 2022 journal Gastroenterology.

“With this study, we aimed to establish where yoCRC mortality rates were higher or lower than expected," said the study’s senior author Stephanie Schmit, PhD, MPGH in a press release. "Known as hot and cold spots, in order to pinpoint regions in the country warranting further investigation and to understand the factors contributing to this increasing burden.”

The researchers used colorectal cancer-specific mortality data from 3,036 US counties for the two decades between 1999 and 2019. After adjusting for young colorectal cancer risk factors such as race/ethnicity, obesity, smoking and alcohol consumption, the researchers split the deaths into four age groups: those diagnosed younger than 35, those between 34-49, 50-64, and those older than 65 and plotted them according to geography.

The picture that emerged showed newly identified hotspots in the upper Midwest and north eastern Great Lakes regions, in addition to earlier identified hot spots in southern and Appalachian counties among those younger than 50.

The deaths in the 34-50 age group, however, closely followed southern patterns seen in general population, however hotspots in those younger than 35 did not follow that pattern, which suggests colorectal cancer deaths in the youngest patients may be driven by a distinct set of factors.

The research also revealed cold spots in western and southwestern counties where there is a lower risk of dying of colorectal cancer for those 50 and under.

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Sources: Cleveland Clinic press release