Bottom Line: The incidence of colorectal cancer among younger adults increased in recent years in this analysis of data from Canadian national cancer registries that included about 688,000 new colorectal cancers diagnosed over more than 40 years. Among men younger than 50, there was an average annual percentage change of 3.47% from 2006 to 2015. Among women younger than 50, there was an average annual percentage change of 4.45% from 2010 to 2015. Because the study used registry data, authors didn't have access to any demographic information other than age so they were unable to identify what other factors may be associated with the increases. Potential reasons to explain the increases are not well understood and the authors suggest that be investigated before any change in screening guidelines is pursued.
Authors: Darren R. Brenner, Ph.D., University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and coauthors
(doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.8090)
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