Colon Cancer Becomes Top Cancer Killer Among Americans

Colon and rectal cancer has emerged as the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among Americans under the age of 50, overtaking other major cancers, according to a new analysis that highlights a troubling reversal in long-term health trends.

Researchers from the American Cancer Society reported that while overall cancer mortality among younger adults in the US has declined across nearly all major tumor types, deaths linked to colorectal cancer have continued to rise. Once relatively uncommon among younger adults in the 1990s, the disease has now become the primary cause of cancer deaths in this age group, far earlier than experts had anticipated.

The findings, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), show that nearly 1.3 million people in the US died from cancer before the age of 50 between 1990 and 2023, the most recent year for which data is available. Over that period, age-adjusted cancer mortality rates fell by 44 percent, dropping from 25.5 deaths per 100,000 adults to 14.2.

Significant declines were recorded between 2014 and 2023 in several major cancers, including brain cancer, breast cancer, leukemia and lung cancer. Death rates fell by an average of 0.3 percent per year for brain cancer, 1.4 percent for breast cancer, 2.3 percent for leukemia and 5.7 percent for lung cancer.

In contrast, deaths from colorectal cancer increased by an average of 1.1 percent per year between 2005 and 2023. Researchers said this pattern is consistent with other reports showing rising colorectal cancer mortality among adults under 50 across most racial and ethnic groups.

Experts warned that many younger patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage of the disease, reducing survival chances. They stressed the importance of raising awareness of warning signs such as persistent abdominal pain and the presence of bright red blood in stool.

The researchers also reiterated calls for earlier screening, urging individuals to begin colorectal cancer screening at age 45, in line with updated medical guidelines, as early detection remains one of the most effective ways to reduce deaths from the disease.