United States: Over the past 20 years, the number of young Americans who have colon cancer has progressively climbed, with tweens experiencing the most significant increase in cancer rates, according to a new study.
Tweens Experience Alarming Surge
At the Digestive Disease Week medical symposium later this month in Washington, D.C., researchers will reveal that between 1999 and 2020, the prevalence of colon cancer among children aged 10 to 14 increased by 500%.
Disturbing Trends Across Age Groups:
Researchers also observed that the rate rose by 185% and 333%, respectively, among those aged 20 to 24 and 15 to 19 years old.
Shifting Perceptions of Colorectal Cancer
According to a news release, lead researcher Dr. Islam Mohamed, an internal medicine resident physician at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, “colorectal cancer is no longer considered just a disease of the elderly population.”
Using data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), researchers estimated changes in colon cancer between 1999 and 2020 for individuals between the ages of 10 and 44.
The rates among children and young people increased, but overall they remain far lower than those among older persons, according to the data.
Symptoms and Risk Factors
In the age group of 10 to 14 years old, the number of children diagnosed with colon cancer increased from 0.1 per 100,000 in 1999 to 0.6 per 100,000 in 2020.
In a similar vein, diagnoses in the 15–19 age group increased from 0.3 to 1.3 per 100,000, while in the 20–24 age group they increased from 0.7 to 2 per 100,000.
Constipation, diarrhea, abdominal discomfort, rectal bleeding, and indicators of iron deficiency anemia were the most typical symptoms of colon cancer, according to Mohamed.
The incidence of colon cancer increased among the elderly as well:
71% to 6.5 per 100,000 adults between the ages of 30 and 34.
From 58% to 11.7 per 100,000 in the 35–39 age group.
In the 40–44 age range, 37% to 20% per 100,000.
Preliminary Data Alert:
A family history of colon cancer or inflammatory bowel illness is one risk factor for colon cancer, according to Mohamed.
Aside from smoking, alcohol, and food, other recognized risk factors include obesity. Antibiotics, food additives, and inactivity are suspected risk factors, according to the study.
These results should be regarded as preliminary until they are published in a peer-reviewed publication because they were presented at a medical convention.