Researchers at Syracuse University are warning about the increasing number of cases of rectal cancer in young adults. It is growing two to three times faster than other cancers.
Rectal cancer is progressing and causing concern for American researchers. The number of deaths attributed to this disease is sharply increasing among young adults, according to a study led by Mythili Menon Pathiyil of SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, United States. This study is set to be presented in May at an annual meeting of gastroenterologists, as reported by NBC News.
“The rate of rectal cancer seems to be increasing two to three times faster than that of colon cancer,” said Mythili Menon Pathiyil, the study’s lead author, to our American colleagues. In the United States, colon cancer is the deadliest type of cancer among people under 50. Rectal cancer could surpass it by 2035.
Rectal cancer cases tripled
The study is based on death records from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from 1999 to 2023. Among people aged 20 to 44, the number of deaths due to rectal cancer saw the highest increase, with rates tripling.
“This is a health crisis. It is not something to ignore,” said Dr. Ben Schlechter, gastrointestinal oncologist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, on NBC News.
In France, the French National Society of Gastroenterology (SNFGE) estimates 15,000 new cases of rectal cancer each year. “Overall, the 5-year survival rate is approximately 55%,” explains the SNFGE on their website.
This disease can be treated with surgery, as well as radiotherapy or chemotherapy.
How to detect rectal cancer?
The authors of the American study did not find reasons why this type of cancer is affecting more young adults. Dr. Ben Schlechter points to the “high consumption of sugary drinks.” However, he notes that many young patients had “no risk factors.” He finds this “really worrying.”
The National Cancer Institute lists several signs that may alert patients: abdominal pain, presence of blood in stools, alternating between diarrhea and constipation, bloating, as well as a general decline in health.
In case of abnormal and significant changes in bowel habits, it is strongly recommended to consult a doctor, and if necessary, to undergo a colonoscopy, one of the most common methods to detect rectal cancer.
