The warnings that colorectal cancer is rising in younger patients is blaring.
Early-onset colorectal cancer “is becoming the leading cause of cancer deaths among young adults in the United States,” according to Dr. Yin Cao, associate professor of Medicine and Surgery at the Washington University Siteman Cancer Center in St. Louis in an article from the National Cancer Institute.
In fact, Dr. Cao is spearheading a first-of-its-kind research program called PROSPECT to examine what’s causing the early onset of colorectal cancer.
Nearly 10% of newly diagnosed colorectal cancer patients around the world are under the age of 50, according to one study from 2021. And in an article in the Lancet, researchers report that in younger patients, colorectal cancer has increased in 27 out of 50 countries and territories.
“The findings underscore the need for intensified efforts to identify factors driving these trends and increase awareness to help facilitate early detection,” the authors of the study state.
One cause could be a gut bacterial toxin called colibactin, according to a study published in the journal, Nature, earlier this year where researchers examined 981 colorectal cancer genomes from patients in 11 countries with early-and-late-onset colorectal cancer and varying colorectal cancer risk levels.
Colibactin, according to the research, leaves specific patterns of DNA mutations, which are 3.3 times more common in early-onset cases, especially in those diagnosed under the age of 40 compared to those older than 70 who are diagnosed with the disease.
Colon Cancer Screening
According to the National Cancer Institute, 18,000 Americans under 50 were diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2020.
While experts don’t know why colorectal cancer rates continue rising among younger Americans, they know it’s especially true for Alaska Natives, American Indians and Caucasians. African Americans are also still at a higher risk of developing colorectal cancer at a young age.
That’s why screening is recommended starting at age 45, according to the American Cancer Society. And screenings should start sooner if there’s a family history or if you develop irregularities going to the bathroom or bowel problems.
Keep in mind, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, you might have to start screening before the age of 45 if:
- You’ve had colorectal cancer before.
- A close relative had colon cancer.
- You have an inflammatory bowel disease like Crohn’s or ulcerative colitis.
- You have genetic conditions that increase your risk such as familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) or hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer (Lynch syndrome).
Colon Cancer Treatment Options
If screening leads to a diagnosis, you have treatment options including surgery, chemotherapy and radiation – or a combination of different treatments.
The American Cancer Society says radiation tends to be used more for rectal cancer than colon cancer. But it can be effective with certain types of colon cancers.
- Radiation along with chemotherapy can shrink a tumor before surgery.
- It can kill any lingering cancer cells after surgery or during surgery.
- Radiation may be used along with chemotherapy in patients who aren’t surgical candidates.
- It can relieve symptoms of advanced cancer, like blockages.
- It can treat metastasized cancer.
Cancer Treatment Center Miami
CyberKnife Miami opened nearly 25 years ago and was the first CyberKnife center to open in the Southeast. Since that time, we have successfully treated hundreds of patients with all types of cancer, including metastatic colon cancer.
If you are interested in learning more about CyberKnife for cancer, call us at 305-279-2900 or go to our website now www.cyberknifemiami.com.