Colorectal cancer most deadly cancer for those under 50

The rate of young people dying from cancer is dropping across the United States, according to a recent study from the American Cancer Society.

Researchers found that cancer mortality in people under 50 years old has gone down 44% from 1990 to 2023, even as numerous studies show that more young people are getting cancer.

READ MORE: Colorectal cancer most deadly cancer for those under 50: Here are the symptoms

The study, which published last week, analyzed multiple cancers. Death rates from lung cancer had the biggest drop, while rates from breast cancer, leukemia, brain cancer, pancreatic cancer, non-Hodgkin lymphoma and cervical cancer have all gone down.

Death rates from colorectal cancer, however, have increased in younger adults, and was the leading cause of cancer death among people under 50 in 2023.

“The steady rise in colorectal deaths under 50 is even more alarming compared to the dramatic declines for lung and breast, even as breast cancer incidence is climbing,” said Rebecca Siegel, senior scientific director of surveillance research at the American Cancer Society.

“While we await answers for why colorectal cancer rates are up, lives can be saved now,” said Siegel, the lead author of the report. She noted the need for symptom awareness and more screening uptake, as three in four people under 50 are diagnosed with advanced disease.

Like national trends, the mortality rate for Alabamians younger than 50 fell from 2018-2022 by 1.7% for all cancer types, according to federal data.

The rate of colorectal cancer for young people rose by .9% during the same five-year period. It was the only type of cancer to see a rise in mortality in the state along with pancreas cancer, which rose by .6%

In 2023, cancer was the second leading cause of death in Alabama behind only heart disease, according to the Alabama Department of Public Health.

Breast, colorectal, lung, and prostate cancers were the most commonly diagnosed cancers, accounting for more than 47 percent of all new cases in Alabama, an ADPH report said.

More Alabamians of all ages died from lung cancer than from breast, colorectal, and prostate cancers combined.

Between 2011-2020, both the number of cancer cases and the cancer mortality rate in Alabama were higher than the national average.

“For some cancers such as breast, cervical, and colorectal, there are established, effective screening tests which can diagnose these cancers at an early stage when treatment is more effective and survival is more likely,” Dr. Scott Harris, Alabama’s state health officer, said in the report.

“Additionally, engaging in healthy lifestyle habits, such as being physically active and consuming a healthy diet, can also contribute to cancer prevention efforts.”