One in five new cases of colorectal cancer are being detected in men under the age of 50, warned the American Cancer Society (ACS) in a recent study in which it also warned that the disease is increasingly being diagnosed in advanced stages.
Some 153,020 people will be diagnosed with this type of cancer in 2023, according to estimates from the study, and 52,550 will die as a result of the disease.
Meanwhile, researchers estimate that
19,550 cases and 3,750 deaths from colorectal cancer
will be in patients younger than 50 years.
The study called
The increase in this type of cancer in young men is “alarming”, since those under 50 years of age went from representing 11% of the cases in 1995 (one in ten), to 20% of all patients (one in every five ) in 2019.
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Colorectal cancer, which originates in the colon or rectum, is the second most common cause of cancer death in the United States
and the leading cause in men under age 50, the ACS said.
The disease "begins as a growth or polyp on the inner lining of the colon or rectum," and can be detected with tests such as colonoscopy, which allows doctors to detect and remove polyps when they are small and have not turned into cancer or have spread to other parts of the body.
The problem, the study stressed, is that four out of 10 45-year-old Americans "are not up to date" with these checkups, "especially younger men and those without health insurance."
risk factors
For a polyp to become colorectal cancer, it can take between 10 to 15 years, which is why experts insist on early detection and
recommend reducing the suggested age to undergo preventive check-ups to 45 years.
Although the study said it's hard to pinpoint why the incidence rate is rising in younger men, it did point to risk factors such as an unhealthy diet, tobacco and alcohol use, a sedentary lifestyle and obesity.
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He also cautioned that race, geography and ethnicity can affect death rates for people with colorectal cancer.
Compared to white men,
the death rate is 46% higher for Alaska Natives and 44% higher for black men.
Hispanics accounted for 38.8% of the total number of cases and 13.5% of deaths.
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Although mortality from the disease overall decreased by 2% per year between 2011 and 2020, it increased by between 0.5% and 3% per year in people under 50 years of age.
"CRC (colorectal cancer) is rapidly becoming diagnosed at younger ages, in more advanced stages and in the left side of the colon/rectum," the study stressed.
Poor and minority men with less access to preventive medicine
The investigation insisted that a significant number of cases and deaths
can be reduced or prevented with regular check-ups and quality treatment
, however, it admitted that some groups do not have sufficient access to preventive medical care and that the risk is greater for poor people and of minorities.
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Those with a “lower socioeconomic status are 40% more likely to be diagnosed”
with
colorectal cancer than those living with better socioeconomic conditions, according to the study.
“Much of this inequality stems from disproportionate wealth as a consequence of systemic racism,” he stressed.
The differences are seen in the increase in risk factors such as poor diet, lack of access to comprehensive and quality medical care and regular medical check-ups, the study added.
