Cancer rates are rising in younger adults. Here's what to know and steps to reduce risk
LOS ANGELES -- The face of cancer is changing. More and more young adults between the ages of 18 and 49 are being diagnosed with cancers that were thought to affect mostly older patients.
That includes colon cancer. Yet, screening recommendations start at 45.
The rise in colorectal cancer cases among young people was the first troubling trend scientists took note of. While many have chalked it up to poor eating and sedentary lifestyles, that may not be the whole story.
Screening and understanding your risk are the two best ways to protect yourself, but what can you do if you're way too young to screen? One thing that may help: a cancer risk assessment tool.
Chris Norton is 36 years old.
"I thought I was the last person to get a cancer like this because I'm active, I eat healthy," Norton said.
In May 2022, acute pain in his abdomen prompted Norton to go to urgent care. They sent him home.
"Couldn't figure out what was going on," he said.
Two days later, the avid hiker and runner developed a fever. This time he went to the ER. Scans revealed a tear on the inside of his colon wall. He was told to go home and heal.
But Norton started seeing blood in his stools and became anemic. In December, doctors scheduled a colonoscopy and he awoke to this news.
"You need to go to the hospital right now," he recalled being told. "We could only get so far into your colon because there's a mass there."
Scans also confirmed another tumor. Norton says the news was devastating.
"It's in the colon, it spread to your liver," he said. "Stage 4 colon cancer."
"Five-year survival rate is 13%, which is low," Norton added. "Obviously, that's a hard thing to face in your 30s. Think about not being here in five years."
Colon cancer has been on the rise in younger adults, and is now the leading cause of death for men under 50 and the second leading cause for women in the same age group. But here's the issue.
Colorectal screening guidelines for average risk Americans starts at 45. So how do you know if you need to get in there earlier?
"It is our job as experts in this field to really interrogate each person and figure out what is driving this change, especially this type of really epidemic type change in our younger folks," City of Hope physician-in-chief Dr. Edward Kim said.
The American Cancer Society says until we get more definitive answers, the best way to protect yourself is to understand your risk and your screening options no matter what your age is. So they've introduced a new cancer risk assessment tool.
"It will provide you with some detailed information that you can take to your physician that would suggest that maybe you should be requesting a screening test," said Robin Toft with the American Cancer Society.
The CancerRisk360 tool takes 10 to 15 minutes to complete. The tool asks questions about your diet, smoking history, any family members with cancer and also your zip code because where you live can also influence your cancer risk.
Dr. Arif Kamal is the chief patient officer for the American Cancer Society.
"I think we're going to find that there are more environmental exposures than we currently appreciate and understand that are part of the cancer story," Kamal said.
The most recent government report lists 256 substances that could cause cancer in humans.
"If it's something in the food, the plastics, the environment? Not sure," Kim said.
Managing everything in your environment is not possible, but scientists believe many things are within our control.
Research shows eating a mediterranean-style diet, getting 150 minutes of weekly exercise, avoiding alcohol, smoking and vaping - especially in youth and early adulthood - could make a significant difference.
"We know that 45% of all cancers have a modifiable risk factor," Kamal said. "If nearly half of cancers have something you can do about them today, there's eternal optimism and hope around that."
Another way to protect yourself: speak up about signs and symptoms that may be unusual.
"Talk to your friends about it. Don't be afraid to bring up issues that you might not want to talk about," Norton said. "Do your yearly physical. There's a lot of things that they can catch early with blood work or just checking physical symptoms."
After surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, Norton is traveling, hiking and volunteers with the band at his alma mater, USC. As an engineer, he's a numbers guy. So every day he continues with his care and stays a step ahead of cancer, it's a win.
"Don't think that it can't happen to you, because it can," Norton said. "If you get it early, it's a lot easier to treat."
