Colon Cancer Rates Increasing in Young and Middle Aged Adults under 50

Colon cancer rates have been decreasing over the last several decades. However recent research suggests that over the last 20 years the disease has been increasing among young and early middle-aged American adults. Of concern are colon cancer rates among men and women between the ages of 20 and 49, a group that generally isn’t covered by public health guidelines. Results of the study were recently published in the Journal of Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology. Colon cancer is the third most common cancer in the United States (and the number two cause of cancer deaths). Increased screening rates have resulted in an overall decrease in colon cancer rates, according to research information in the study. Data analysis of the U.S. National Cancer Institute study, published last November in JAMA Surgery, revealed that colon cancer rates had decreased by approximately