Overview
- The report estimates 158,850 new U.S. colorectal cancer cases and 55,230 deaths in 2026, with 45% of diagnoses now in people younger than 65.
- Incidence has been increasing 3% per year among ages 20–49 and 0.4% among ages 50–64, while both incidence and mortality continue to decline in those 65 and older.
- Rectal tumors are driving recent gains, now comprising about 32% of colorectal diagnoses after rising roughly 1% annually from 2018 to 2022.
- Screening uptake remains low in newly eligible adults, with only about 37% of those ages 45–49 screened even though half of sub‑50 diagnoses occur in that age group.
- Younger patients are often diagnosed late—about three‑quarters at regional or distant stages—and some states are responding, including a new Kentucky law expanding high‑risk screening eligibility to begin at 40.