Overview
- Adults younger than 65 now account for 45% of new U.S. colorectal cancer cases, up from 27% in 1995.
- Rectal cancer now represents about 32% of colorectal diagnoses, with incidence rising roughly 1% per year from 2018 to 2022 and increases concentrated in the distal colon and rectum.
- Incidence is climbing 3% annually in ages 20–49 and 0.4% in ages 50–64, while rates continue to fall by more than 2% per year in those 65 and older; mortality is rising 1% yearly in under‑50s and in 50–64 since 2019.
- The ACS projects 158,850 new colorectal cancer cases and 55,230 deaths in 2026, with the highest incidence and mortality in Alaska Native people and a heavy burden also reported in American Indian communities.
- Screening now starts at 45 for average‑risk adults, yet only about 37% of 45–49‑year‑olds are up to date, and roughly three in four cancers in people under 50 are diagnosed at advanced stage.