Early Onset Colorectal Cancer

Early-onset colorectal cancer refers to colorectal cancer diagnosed before age 50. It includes colon and rectal cancers in younger adults and has shown rising incidence in multiple populations. Many younger patients are diagnosed at advanced stage because routine screening is often not performed before the recommended age.

Category

Colorectal cancer subtype defined by age at diagnosis (<50 years)

Prevalence

Now around 10% of colon cancer diagnoses occur in people younger than 50; incidence in ages 20-49 is rising by about 3% per year in U.S. ACS reporting