After James Van Der Beek’s death, how colorectal cancer is killing more under-50s

Colorectal cancer is now the top cancer killer of Americans younger than 50, highlighting that it is a threat not just to older adults, but increasingly to young men and women, too. The deaths of Dawson’s Creek actor James Van Der Beek at 48 this week, and Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman a few years ago at 43, highlight the risk for younger adults. “We’re now starting to see more and more people in the 20-, 30- and 40-year-old range developing colon cancer. At the beginning of my career, nobody that age had colorectal cancer,” says Dr John Marshall of the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Centre at Georgetown University in Washington, who has been a cancer doctor for more than three decades. That trend “is shaking us all, to be blunt”, adds Marshall, who is also medical consultant to the Colorectal Cancer Alliance, the largest colorectal cancer non-profit organisation in the US. Here is what to know about colorectal cancer – at any age – and how to protect yourself. How common is colorectal cancer? More than 158,000 cases of colorectal cancer will be diagnosed in the US this year, according to the American Cancer Society. Among all ages, it is the country’s second leading cancer killer, behind lung cancer, and is expected to claim more than 55,000 lives this year. In Hong Kong, it is the third most common cancer, and the second leading cause of cancer death. Globally, cases and deaths have inched down in recent years. That is thanks in part to screening tests that can spot tumours early, when they are easier to treat. Screening tests can also uncover precancerous growths, which, if removed, can prevent tumours from forming. Who is most at risk? The vast majority of colorectal cancer cases and deaths still are in people 50 and older. That older age group has also seen the most progress, with deaths dropping by about 1.5 per cent a year over the past decade, according to cancer society statistics. But while it is still relatively rare in the under-50 crowd, their colorectal cancer diagnoses have been rising since the early 2000s. In addition, American Cancer Society researchers reported last month that colorectal cancer mortality in Americans under 50 had increased by 1.1 per cent a year since 2005, becoming the deadliest cancer in that age group. This year, the society estimates 3,890 people under age 50 will die of it. Risk factors at any age include obesity, lack of physical activity, a diet high in red or processed meat and low in fruits and vegetables, smoking, heavy alcohol use, and having inflammatory bowel disease or a family history of colorectal cancer. Marshall advises everyone to eat lots of fruit, vegetables and whole grains. “Meat’s not evil,” but eat less of it, he says. A recent study found that a three-year exercise programme improved survival in colon cancer patients and reduced cancer recurrence. What are the signs of colorectal cancer? Symptoms include blood in stool or rectal bleeding; changes in bowel habits such as diarrhoea, constipation or narrowing of stool that lasts more than a few days; unintended weight loss; and cramps or abdominal pain. “Don’t ignore symptoms. Get it checked,” Marshall stresses. Survival is far more likely when colorectal cancer is diagnosed early, before it spreads. When to get screened Medical guidelines say the average person should start getting screened at age 45, but that is too late for some young adults. People known to be at higher risk are supposed to talk with their doctors about whether to start screening even earlier. How often people need to get checked depends on the type of screening they choose. There are a variety of options, including yearly stool-based tests or colonoscopies that may be done every 10 years as long as no problems are found. There is also a newer blood test for adults 45 or older. What is behind the rise in colorectal cancer in young people? No one knows what is causing the rise in cases in younger adults. Marshall says many young patients lack common risk factors. He wonders if changes in young people’s gut bacteria – the microbiome – may play a role. Also, where cancer occurs along the question-mark-shaped colon – it starts on one side of the abdomen and swoops to the other before ending with the rectum – influences how aggressive it is and how it is treated. Marshall said there is a marked difference in where younger and older people’s tumours tend to strike – another clue being explored.

After James Van Der Beek’s death, how colorectal cancer is killing more under-50s

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}No one knows what is causing the rise in colorectal cancer cases in younger adults. Here are the symptoms and who is most at risk

No one knows what is causing the rise in colorectal cancer cases in younger adults. Here are the symptoms and who is most at risk