Colorectal Cancer Is Rising Among the Young, Even Kids and Teens

Colorectal cancer is becoming more common in people under 50, and new clinical data show it can appear in children and teens as an especially aggressive, often advanced disease. Researchers examined records from the Pediatric Surgical Oncology Research Collaborative for 84 patients age 21 and younger diagnosed between 2012 and 2023; median age was 16.5 and median symptom duration before diagnosis was 12 weeks. Only about 20% had a family history of colorectal cancer, yet 51% presented with stage III and 29% with stage IV disease. Tumors in this group relapsed in roughly 37% of patients and by the study’s end nearly 45% had died, versus a contemporary overall five‑year colorectal cancer survival of about 63%.

Clinicians should raise suspicion for colorectal cancer when adolescents have unexplained abdominal or back pain, changes in bowel habits, weight loss, or rectal bleeding, because delayed diagnosis appears common and deadly. The findings were presented at the American Academy of Pediatrics conference and have not yet undergone peer review. Public‑health data show incidence in under‑50s rose about 2.9% per year from 2013-2022; investigators note possible contributors such as processed diets, higher obesity, and infections but emphasize pediatric colorectal cancer remains rare even as its incidence climbs.