Why Today’s Young Adults Are 4 Times More Likely To Have Rectal Cancer
Cancer rates, particularly gastrointestinal cancers, continue to rise among young adults. (Photo by Frame Stock Footage on Shutterstock)
BOSTON — Americans born in 1990 have four times the risk of developing rectal cancer compared to those born in 1950, according to a sweeping analysis that reveals how dramatically cancer patterns have shifted across generations. This alarming trend extends beyond a single cancer type; gastrointestinal cancers among people under 50 have surged by nearly 15% in just one decade, transforming diseases once considered rare in young people into leading killers.
Published in the British Journal of Surgery and led by researchers from the Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, the review examined cancer trends across multiple databases and studies. Between 2010 and 2019, cases of early-onset gastrointestinal cancers jumped by 14.8%, with colorectal cancer now ranking as the top cancer killer for men under 50 and second for women in that age group.
Most of these cancers aren’t caused by inherited genetic defects. Instead, researchers point to environmental factors tied to modern life: soaring obesity rates, diets dominated by processed foods, sedentary lifestyles, and exposures that previous generations simply didn’t face. “The rising incidence demonstrates a birth cohort effect, implicating environmental factors, such as diet and lifestyle,” the researchers wrote.
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