early onset colon cancer

What We Know About Young Onset Colorectal Cancer

What We Know About Young Onset Colorectal Cancer

Countrywide, awareness efforts about colorectal cancer have yielded positive results. Every year the mortality rate decreases and early detection continues to grow. Yet, this favorable news only applies to cases where patients are over the age of 50, i.e. “regular-onset colorectal cancer”. In contrast, the rate of young-onset colorectal cancer is on the rise. Currently, 11% of colon cancer diagnoses and 18% of rectal cancer diagnoses occur in people younger than 50.