A New Fight Against Colon Cancer: As Cancer Rates Rise Among Younger Adults, Researchers Look for New Screening and Treatment Options

Although the overall incidence of colon cancer has been falling over the past few decades, a pair of recent studies revealed a startling trend. In February 2017, researchers published a report showing that colon cancer rates were rising among younger adults. Some skeptics suggested the spike might simply reflect earlier detection and not necessarily represent a real increase in the disease. But a follow-up study found that Gen-Xers and millenials aren't just getting cancer diagnoses earlier; they are dying from colon cancer at slightly higher rates than in previous decades. Death rates among adults aged 20-54 have increased slightly, to 4.3 deaths per 100,000 people in 2014, up from 3.9 per 100,000 in 2004.