Colorectal cancer rates are now climbing in nearly every age group, not just the young
Rising rates of colorectal cancer found in nearly all age groups
A University of Chicago study in NEJM Evidence found that after two decades of decline, the overall colorectal cancer incidence rate reversed course, rising from 36.7 per 100,000 in 2022 to 38.3 in 2023. Increases now extend across all age groups up to 65-69, not only adults under 50. Researchers point to a birth cohort effect and suspect environmental chemical exposures, while screening gains alone cannot explain the trend.
This is the first time that we have seen an increase in the overall rate since in more than 20 years.
- zetazzed
Important context in the article:
"The data showed that the age-adjusted incidence rate fell from 55.2 per 100,000 in 2000 to 36.7 in 2022, then rose to 38.3 in 2023."
If you would like to advance a theory that this is because of a specific environmental change, your theory should cope with the fact that the rate was MUCH higher in 2000 and the rise described here is is 2023. Increased screening is said to be a likely culprit in this case for middle-aged adult prevalence but not for older adult prevalence, because screening has increased somewhat in the middle aged groups.
I am personally dealing with colon cancer, and one of the incredibly annoying things about the awful disease is the number of truly clueless people who use it to advance some culinary agenda they believe in without evidence.
- solfox
I don't buy their explaining away the effects of COVID by excluding 2020-2021. It was incredibly difficult to access routine medical care (especially colonoscopies!) during COVID. A post-COVID bump should be expected in the 1-2 years after normalization of medical care, when many people had previously skipped screenings. Let's see if the rise continues in 2024+ before drawing any conclusions.
- ORDINAND_PIZZA
just get the colonoscopy, it's really not that bad. if ya haven't had one yet, i wrote this for u (30 second read of my experience):
- PaulKeeble
One key aspect that most people don't seem to be aware of is that there has been a lot of research in the cancer causing impacts of Covid infections. Its been implicated and mechanistically shown to cause a number of cancers and Covid hangs around in the gut for years/potentially ever we aren't yet sure in some people and it acts like a phage. As a phage it infects certain bacteria in our gut and drastically changes the microbiome, pushing it towards colonies of bacteria that are implicated in colon cancer.
The scientific evidence isn't there yet for colorectal cancer but its being investigated in studies at the moment and we are expecting a mass disabling event due to Covid and Long Covid and a big increase in a variety of conditions including cancer. Its one of the most studied viruses in human history and it does a lot of bad stuff and most people are catching 1.5 times a year.
- randycupertino
Study shows US colorectal cancer rates are rising again in almost all age groups after 20+ years of decline. NEJM Evidence study finds rates climbing in every age group even when screening is high.