Colorectal cancer in adults younger than 50 years old

[摘要] The updated guidelines for colorectal cancer screening released by the American Cancer Society May 30 recommend that average-risk adults in the U.S. should start screening at 45 years of age.1 Although this is a qualified recommendation, it is a clear indicator of the increasing concern regarding the rising incidence of colon and rectal cancer among younger adults. Data from both the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) registry and the National Cancer Database (NCDB) have consistently demonstrated the striking increase in the rates of colon and rectal cancer among adults ages 18–50.2-4 For example, adults born in the 1990s are two times more likely to develop colon cancer and four times more likely to develop rectal cancer than someone born in the 1950s (see Figure 1). The exact cause of this dramatic rise in colorectal cancer among younger adults is unclear. Racial and ethnic disparities have been observed in epidemiology studies but offer an incomplete picture. Numerous other factors have been suggested, including sedentary behavior, obesity, diabetes, and the modern high-fat and low-fiber Western diet, although a definitive cause has yet to emerge.

[学科分类] 外科医学