Why Early-Onset Colorectal Cancer Is on the Rise

It’s never too early to start prioritizing your colorectal health. Multiple national professional societies recommend adults begin getting regular colonoscopies at age 45 years. The rise in early onset colorectal cancer is increasing awareness of the disease for a younger group of patients.

Studies show that colorectal cancer diagnoses are up 3% annually for people under 50. Cases are on the rise for numerous reasons and knowing why can help you be proactive in protecting your colorectal health and your overall well-being.  

Lifestyle

Health is all about the choices we make, from the things we choose to put in our body to how active we are each day. 

For people under 50, these everyday choices can be risk factors for early onset colorectal cancer:

• Diet: Food is the fuel used to help us move through each day. But when it comes to colorectal health, it’s important to enjoy some of our guilty pleasure favorites in moderation. Processed foods, red meat, and high-sugar dishes or drinks can promote tumor growth. Swapping those foods for high-fiber options like fruits and vegetables is a good start to helping gut health and decrease the risk of these cancerous precursors.  

• Activity: One simple way to reduce your risk of early onset colorectal cancer is physical activity. Leading a sedentary lifestyle is linked with obesity, inflammation, and other risk factors that can increase your risk of colorectal cancer.  

  Whether it’s a regular exercise routine, a daily walk, or a weekly basketball or soccer game, building regular activity into your daily life may lower your risk of colon cancer.  

   

• Smoking and alcohol: Smoking and heavy alcohol consumption (more than seven drinks a week for women, more than 14 per week for men) can leave you vulnerable to early onset colorectal cancer. The sooner you can limit or cut out alcohol and smoking, the better off your colorectal health.  Regular or former smokers are more prone to develop polyps that lead to colon cancer, and that risk gets higher the longer you smoke. For heavy drinkers, the risk of colorectal cancer goes up the longer you continue to drink.  

Family history

Colon cancer can form via genetic mutations that are passed down from generation to generation. The more you know about your family history, the easier it is to identify early onset colorectal cancer red flags. 

Things to look for include:

• Multiple family members who’ve had colon cancer or polyps
• Family members with endometrial cancer and other similar diseases
• Hereditary syndromes like Lynch syndrome or familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP)

If one or more of those signs apply to you, speak to your primary care physician about getting a colonoscopy or doing genetic testing.  

Environment  

Colorectal health can also be impacted by environmental factors. Exposure to air pollutants, pesticides, microplastics, and other toxins have been shown to alter DNA, introduce harmful chemicals into your gut, and trigger early onset colorectal cancer or increase your personal risk.  

Limiting exposures to some of these pollutants can be difficult. When you go outside, try going to less polluted areas. If you go to high-traffic or polluted areas, wear a mask or pick a quieter time so you can avoid ingesting certain chemicals.

Colorectal health is something you’ll always want to manage. Talk to your primary care provider about colorectal cancer screening once you turn 45 years or sooner if you have a family history of colon cancer or large colon polyps. Colonoscopy is the gold standard test to detect and remove pre-cancerous polyps before they turn into colorectal cancer.  

Trust your gut and schedule a colonoscopy at a BJC HealthCare location near you. Early detection of colorectal cancer helps you get in front of the disease and make the best decisions about your health.