Why are more young adults getting colon cancer?
The Rising Incidence of Early-Onset Colorectal Cancer in Germany.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
The steepest increase was in the youngest group (20–29), not middle-aged adults.
Most assume cancer rises with age — but here, the fastest growth is in people barely out of college, defying the typical aging-cancer pattern.
Practical Takeaways
If you're under 30 and have persistent bloating, unexplained anemia, or changes in bowel habits, don’t dismiss it — ask your doctor about a colonoscopy.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
The steepest increase was in the youngest group (20–29), not middle-aged adults.
Most assume cancer rises with age — but here, the fastest growth is in people barely out of college, defying the typical aging-cancer pattern.
Practical Takeaways
If you're under 30 and have persistent bloating, unexplained anemia, or changes in bowel habits, don’t dismiss it — ask your doctor about a colonoscopy.
Publication
Journal
Deutsches Arzteblatt international
Year
2023
Authors
L. F. Tanaka, Sieglinde Hechenbichler Figueroa, V. Popova, S. Klug, N. Buttmann-Schweiger
Related Content
Claims (4)
Over the last 20 years, the number of new cases of colorectal cancer in people under 50 has roughly doubled compared to earlier rates.
In six regions of Germany, the number of people under age 50 diagnosed with colorectal cancer rose each year between 1999 and 2018, with the fastest increase seen in young adults aged 20 to 29.
In Germany from 1999 to 2018, colon cancers in the upper part of the colon became more common each year among young adults aged 20–49, especially in men, while cancers in the lower part of the colon did not change in frequency.
From 1999 to 2018, the number of new cases of colorectal cancer each year rose by 4.44% in men and 6.40% in women between the ages of 20 and 29 in Germany, with the fastest growth occurring in this younger group, even though colorectal cancer remains uncommon in people this age.