If you’re under 50 and were diagnosed with cancer today, new research shows you would probably be less likely to die from it than in decades past.
A study by researchers at the American Cancer Society found that the rate of people under 50 who died from cancer decreased by 44% between 1990 and 2023.
But there’s one type of cancer that more young people are getting, and it’s posing a higher risk of mortality than it used to. Colorectal cancer is the No. 1 overall cause of cancer-related death in patients under 50.
Pierce Claassen is a doctor from Clarkston, Washington, who is currently serving as a second-year internal medicine resident at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona.
He said it’s not clear what’s causing that rise, but the best thing someone can do is to get screened. That starts at 45 years old for most people, but it could start sooner for people with certain risk factors.
“If you do have a personal or family history of inflammatory bowel disease or colorectal cancer, you should get screened earlier, and that is a decision that you should make with your doctor,” Claassen said.
Patients who are obese or consume an excessive amount of red meat are also at an increased risk for colorectal cancer.
There are several approved types of colorectal cancer screenings, including fecal immunochemical testing, known as FIT testing, and multi-target stool DNA testing. However, colonoscopies remain the gold standard.
“It can both detect early stages of cancer and precancerous lesions,” Claassen said. “The FIT test, the multi-target stool DNA test, if those become positive, patients have to proceed with a diagnostic colonoscopy as a result.”
Some blood-based tests are also becoming more popular, Claassen said, but are not yet as effective as other forms of screening, particularly with early-stage cancers.
“While it is very exciting from an epidemiologic standpoint that we have these novel stool-based tests and perhaps some blood-based tests on the horizon,” Claassen said. “For patients that are at elevated risk, they really should only settle for a colonoscopy.”
A person may also need a cancer screening if they experience symptoms such as unexplained abdominal pain, night sweats, passing blood or black, tarry stool, and changes in stool shape or girth.
“Most patients with colorectal cancer are asymptomatic,” Claassen said. “However, patients, particularly younger patients with unexplained abdominal pain that has not been proven to have a cause by CT scans or MRIs should discuss getting a colonoscopy with their doctor.”
For most people, Claassen said, the most difficult part of a colonoscopy is the bowel preparation.
The procedure itself is usually well-tolerated, Claassen said, and typically takes 20 to 30 minutes. Colonoscopies are offered by many medical centers and private practice doctors.
