Medical Research and Guidelines

A new American Cancer Society report, 'Colorectal Cancer Statistics, 2026,' finds that while colorectal cancer (CRC) rates are declining among seniors, incidence is rising in Americans 65 and under and especially in those 20–49, making CRC the leading cause of cancer death in adults under 50. Adults 65 and younger now account for 45% of new U.S. colorectal cancer cases, up from 27% in 1995, and cases in 20‑ to 49‑year‑olds are increasing about 3% annually. Among people 50 and under, three‑quarters of cancers are diagnosed at an advanced stage and about half of diagnoses in that cohort occur between ages 45 and 49, yet only 37% of that eligible age group gets screened. The report projects 158,850 new U.S. CRC cases and 55,230 deaths in 2026 and attributes more than half of cases to modifiable risks such as poor diet, high alcohol use, smoking, inactivity and obesity. Researchers stress that when CRC is caught at a localized stage the five‑year survival rate is about 95%, and they urge clinicians and the public to take seriously new-onset symptoms and to start screening at age 45 as recommended.