Younger adults see rise in colorectal cancer diagnoses amid awareness month
VENN
CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, and this year a health expert who spoke with 8News is sounding the alarm as younger adults are being diagnosed more frequently.
Colorectal cancer, once considered a disease primarily affecting older adults, is now a rapidly growing threat in a much younger demographic. It is the second deadliest cancer in the U.S.
According to the American Cancer Society, rates have increased by 2.4% per year from 2012 to 2021 for people younger than 50 years of age.
In 2021, those high rates prompted the colonoscopy screening age to drop from 50 to 45.
“Fortunately this is a cancer where we have the technology and the ability to find most of these cancers that are at an earlier stage," said Dr. Michael White, Bon Secours surgical oncologist.
White emphasized that early detection significantly improves patient outcomes.
According to the Colorectal Cancer Alliance, with early detection, colorectal cancer has a 90% survival rate. About 33% of eligible adults are not getting screened.
Beyond screening, adopting a healthy lifestyle is crucial for reducing risk. Dr. White urged people to maintain a healthy weight, engage in regular physical activity, and consume a healthy diet while limiting processed foods.
"Foods that are high in nitrates, lots of smoked and cooked meats, red meats, those are all things that increase the risk for colon cancer," White said.
Symptoms of colorectal cancer include anemia or blood in your stool.
"Being anemic, having a low blood count, is often a reason that people are referred for colonoscopies and other evaluations to see if there's a reason why their blood counts are low," White said.
The American Cancer Society predicts the number of colorectal cancers in the United States for 2025 will be about 107,320 new cases of colon cancer (54,510 in men and 52,810 in women) and about 46,950 new cases of rectal cancer (27,950 in men and 19,000 in women).
