Colon cancer is killing more young people in the U.S. than any other cancer

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/colon-cancer-is-killing-more-young-people-in-the-u-s-than-any-other-cancer/

20 Comments

  1. It’s pretty simple, if you want to lower your risk, stop being sedentary, eat healthy whole foods, consume an appropriate amount of calories relative to your activity levels so you’re not gaining excess weight and fat. Exercise 3-5x a week ideally at the gym. Have a healthy sleep schedule and stick to this 90% of the time. All cause mortality will decrease drastically.

    Until we decide as a society, personal responsibility for our health is essential and that parents who have overweight kids is equivalent to child abuse, this will continue. Obviously the government can help, but the responsibility primarily falls on individuals and parents.

  2. VivekViswanathan on

    One critical thing noted in the article but not in the post title is that mortality from cancer among young people is declining overall. It just so happens that colorectal cancer mortality is increasing.

  3. I was having some….bowel concerns about two years ago and, alongside a family history of polyps, I decided I needed to get a colonoscopy at 35.

    Fortunately there were no signs of cancer or polyps, but I’ve been very concerned about this trend with colon cancer amongst younger people.

    I’ve known several people my age who have died from colon cancer already. These were healthy, young and activity people. Something is going on here, and I have to imagine that filling our bowels with thousands of particles of plastic is not helping.

  4. DancingPhantoms on

    Reduce consumption of: potato chips, baked goods (pastries, bread) , sugary beverages, processed meats, too many calories.

    Increase consumption of: fiber, beans, legumes, veggies, and nuts. (if lacking in diet): vit B1-B12, Vit K1/K2, EPA/DHA, Vit D, magnesium, potassium, calcium, iron, zinc, selenium, and last but not least: water.

  5. shit_fucks_you_up on

    Was just diagnosed with it in December. Have Surgery Tuesday to remove 8 inches of my colon. I’m 43 and in decent shape, never had any medical problems before this.

  6. Plenty-Hair-4518 on

    “The generation that has consumed the most unlisted toxins in their food for the sake of corporate profit is getting the most cancer in their digestive track.”

    Wow….not surprised

  7. LightlySaltedPeanuts on

    My Ulcerative Colitis could be a blessing in disguise, since I’ve been getting colonoscopies every 18 months for about 6 years now and I’m 27

  8. Killed my uncle at 35, which is crazy because I thought he was an old ass man (a cool one that ate a lot of hot dogs though). I’m 35 now. I’m the old ass man.

    I couldn’t imagine going through cancer right now. I have so much life left in me.

  9. judgejuddhirsch on

    Red meat and processed meat. Pepperoni, baloney, salami, even turkey and ham cold cuts. These have been known to cause colon cancer for decades.

  10. highlyexplosive on

    40 just got screened had three precancerous polyps. If I waited until 45 I could have had a big problem on my hands. Get screened!

  11. My best friend turned 31 last year and has been told she needs surgery to remove a precancerous tumour. It’s terrifying.

  12. Diagnosed with Stage 3A colon cancer at 35 in 2021. Had 6-7 inches of colon removed followed by 3 months of chemo. Colon cancer came back but in my right lung, had surgery for that in Jan 2025.

    Get colonoscopys. Fight for them. They’re awkward and undignified but it could save your life.

  13. An ever-rising % of people harbor a strain of E. coli that produces known mutagen colibactin 

    https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.ady3571

    https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09025-8

    >Although the impact of country-specific microbiome-derived exposures on geographic differences in colorectal cancer incidence remains unclear, the correlations between colorectal cancer ASR and signatures SBS88 and ID18 suggest that microbiome-derived colibactin exposure may influence colorectal cancer incidence rates. 

  14. skoomaking4lyfe on

    Have my first colonoscopy scheduled next month. Dreading the pre-check fast more than the procedure itself tbh. Recently switched to a high fiber diet in the last couple of months; here’s hoping the decades of fast food prior don’t come back on me.

  15. attractiveblonde on

    They need to bump up the initial screening ages for this. You shouldn’t be waiting until your 40’s for a colonoscopy.