Colorectal Cancer Diagnoses Surge Among Younger Adults, Experts Link Rise to Earlier Screening
New research has revealed a sharp increase in colorectal cancer diagnoses among younger Americans, particularly those aged 45 to 49, driven by updated cancer screening guidelines. The American Cancer Society (ACS) reports that the number of local-stage tumor detections has risen significantly, with a 50% relative increase from 2021 to 2022. This surge is attributed to more first-time screenings following new recommendations for younger adults to start testing earlier, a development that is seen as promising for early detection.
ACS scientists analyzed data from 2004 to 2022, noting a stable trend in colorectal cancer (CRC) diagnoses for 15 years before a significant uptick. The surge began in 2019, with local-stage disease diagnoses in the 45-49 age group rising sharply. Lead author Elizabeth Schafer emphasized that the increase is likely due to the first-time screenings prompted by updated guidelines, which recommend starting screening for colorectal cancer at age 45. The ACS lowered the recommended screening age from 50 to 45 in 2018, and the USPSTF aligned with this change in 2021.
According to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), the increase in diagnoses in the 40-44 and 50-54 age groups has been steady since 2012. The 20-39 age group saw a 1.6% annual increase since 2004, while the 40-44 and 50-54 groups experienced over 2% annual growth. The most dramatic rise was in the 45-49 age group, where the rate jumped from 1.1% annually to 12% per year from 2019 to 2022. The ACS attributes this surge to the detection of more local-stage tumors, which rose by nearly 19% annually for colon cancer and over 25% for rectal cancer during this time.
Advanced-stage disease is also rising, with rates increasing from 1.7% to 2.9% annually since 2004 among adults under 45 and even more rapidly in the last 10 years for those aged 45 to 54. These findings led to another ACS study published in JAMA, which found a 62% increase in CRC screening among U.S. adults aged 45 to 49 from 2019 to 2023. The study analyzed data from over 50,000 individuals, finding that CRC screening rose from 20% in 2021 to 37% in 2023. Colonoscopy screenings among the 45-49 age group increased by 43%, while stool-based testing rose over five times from 2019 to 2023.
Lead author Jessica Star, an associate scientist at ACS in Atlanta, called the surge in screening