Early Onset Colon Cancer Projected to Double by 2030!!! Early-onset colorectal cancer (CRC), which affects patients younger than 50 years of age, has increased sharply since 1988 from 7.9 cases per 100,000 people in 2015 to 12.9 cases. The reason for the increase is not fully understood. “We’ve lowered the screening age to 45, but that still won’t catch up with most of these patients,” Sinicrope said. He estimates that 25% of rectal cancers and 10-12% of colon cancers diagnosed within the next 10 years will have an early onset. Although the direct cause of the increased incidence is unclear, Sinicrope suggested that it may reflect changing dietary habits and increasing obesity among adolescents. “Sugar-containing beverages, processed sugar, and lots of red meat and refined grains in the diet…reflect changes in diet over the past 50 years. We may now be seeing the end result of many of these dietary changes occurring,” he said, calling for greater emphasis on plant-based diets that promote a healthier gut microbiome that may reduce the risk of CRC. Western-style diets can alter the gut microbiome, causing inflammation, increasing the risk of CRC.
“We need to do a better job of categorizing risks, and this will help us figure out who best targets our screening efforts,” Sinicrope said. He pointed to the American Cancer Society’s guidelines that could help doctors identify patients who might benefit from earlier screening. The American Cancer Society recommends screening for cancer at age 45 for average-risk individuals.
