Overview
- Nearly half of new U.S. colorectal cancer diagnoses now occur in people younger than 65 (45%, up from 27% in 1995), with an estimated 158,850 cases and 55,230 deaths projected in 2026.
- Rectal cancer now accounts for about one‑third of cases (32%) after reversing decades of decline, with incidence rising roughly 1% per year from 2018 to 2022.
- From 2013 to 2022, incidence increased 3% annually in ages 20–49 and 0.4% in ages 50–64, while it fell 2.5% per year among adults 65 and older.
- Deaths are decreasing in adults 65+ but rising about 1% per year in those under 50 and in ages 50–64, and colorectal cancer is now the leading cancer killer for people under 50.
- Screening gaps persist, with only about 37% of adults ages 45–49 up to date despite half of sub‑50 diagnoses occurring in that band and roughly 75% of under‑50 cases found at advanced stages; disparities remain severe for Alaska Native and some American Indian communities, and Kentucky now allows earlier screening at 40 for many high‑risk residents.