Fewer people under age 50 are dying from cancer in the U.S., but colorectal cancer mortality rates continue to surge

It's the top cause of cancer death for men and women combined, a new study says.

Colon cancer deaths among people under 50 have risen roughly 1% each year since 2005, researchers reported Jan. 22 in the Journal of the American Medical Association. That increase stands out because deaths from cancer overall have dropped sharply in younger people.

ATLANTA — Colorectal cancer is now considered the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among young people. The American Cancer Society says 3,900 people ages 20 to 49 died of colorectal cancer in 2023, which is more than any other kind of cancer-related death.

Colon cancer is one of the most preventable cancers in the United States, but each year it claims more than 50,000 lives – in part because early symptoms can be mild and easily missed. “Colon cancer is the deadliest cancer for men under 50 and second ...