The colorectal cancer (CRC) rate has been increasing in individuals under 50 despite the fact that the overall rate of the disease has been declining in recent years, a new study has shown.

Researchers, led by Dr. Eli Sutton, research fellow at Mount Sinai West Hospital, examined 1,010,530 CRC cases in the National Cancer Database from 2004 to 2013 to determine the proportion of patients who were identified as young-onset to those that were late-onset.

The study found that the number of young-onset cases increased by 11.4 percent, which is approximately 1.28 percent or 136 additional new cases every year. For the late onset patients, who are grouped as 50 years or older, the percentage fell by 2.5 percent. They also found that the young-onset cases were more prevalent in non-white patients than late-onset cases.
“While the health care system has done a great deal to address colorectal cancer in people over 50 — heightening patient awareness and increasing screenings — our findings show that much more needs to be done to fight this cancer in people under 50, a group not normally considered at risk,” said Sutton, in a statement.

Variables between the two groups were recorded, which included factors such as the stage the cancer was found, the length of the patient’s hospital stay, demographics, and 30-day and 90-day mortality rates.

The team also discovered that the younger group had a higher incidence of more advanced cancer. Stage 3 was at 30.6 percent while the older patients were at 25.1 percent. Stage 4 had a bigger difference between the two groups, 25.6 percent compared to 18.2 percent.

Around five years ago, studies of CRC found a similar trend toward young-onset, Sutton said. “Between the time of the previous research and our study, we still have not adequately addressed the risk of colorectal cancer in people under the age of 50. It’s critical that we reverse this trend so that we are able to reduce, and hopefully, eliminate it in all populations, regardless of age.”

Based on their findings, the researchers suggest that health care facilities should be more vigilant about detecting symptoms in younger patients. While the findings show that CRC is on the rise in individuals under 50, Sutton does note that most CRC cases are still patients over 50.

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