(NaturalHealth365)  Colorectal cancer (which includes cancer affecting the colon or rectum) is the third most common type of cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute.  In 2023, an estimated 153,020 adults will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer, and an estimated 52,550 people will die of it.

Tragically, colorectal cancer often goes undetected until it has progressed to later stages, making it more difficult to treat and increasing the likelihood of mortality.  But, as it turns out, these statistics are even more troubling than one might think.

More and more younger adults are getting diagnosed with this potentially deadly type of cancer

Adults across the United States are being diagnosed with colon and rectal cancers at increasingly younger ages.  In fact, as many as 1 in 5 new cases of colorectal cancer are now among people in their early 50s or younger, according to a recent report by the American Cancer Society.

Deemed “troubling” and “alarming” by subject matter experts, the American Cancer Society’s findings include the following statistics:

• The proportion of colorectal cancer cases in adults under the age of 55 increased from 11% in 1995 to an alarming 20% in 2019
• An increasing percentage of colorectal cancers have already reached the advanced stage by the time of first diagnosis – such was the case for fully 60% of all new colorectal cases in 2019

In an interview, Dr. William Dahut, chief scientific officer for the American Cancer Society, said that “it’s not rare for us now to hear about a young person with advanced colorectal cancer,” but “it used to be something we never heard or saw.”

Such sentiments were echoed by the lead author of the American Cancer Society report, Rebecca Siegel.  In a press release, Siegel says: “We know rates are increasing in young people, but it’s alarming to see how rapidly the whole patient population is shifting younger, despite shrinking numbers in the overall population.”

In addition to demographic shifts related to age, the report also found geographic and racial differences in colorectal cancer rates, as well.  Higher rates were observed among people of American Indian/Alaska Native and Black backgrounds and people living in Appalachia and parts of the South and the Midwest.

Here are the risk factors for colorectal cancer you should know

Known as the “COVID cancer effect,” the pandemic has complicated and potentially worsened the cancer issue in this country, due largely to the “steep drop in screening” during the height of the global health crisis, according to an article in Scientific American.  In addition, many integrative healthcare providers have clinically observed a rise in cancer diagnoses among their patients who received mRNA COVID shots.

But while we still have so much to learn about the true impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated mitigation measures (including the stress of lockdowns and the use of these “experimental” COVID shots), it’s important to spread awareness about the currently known risk factors for this potentially devastating diagnosis.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lists at least nine known risk factors for colorectal cancer in men and women.  These include:

1. Having an inflammatory bowel disease, including Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis (UC)
2. Having certain genetic syndromes like familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) or hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer (Lynch syndrome)
3. Being overweight or obese
4. Having a family history or prior personal history of colorectal cancer or colorectal polyps (according to Mayo Clinic, colorectal polyps are small clump of cells that forms on the lining of the colon and can be detected during a colonoscopy)
5. Not getting enough regular physical activity (aka, living a sedentary lifestyle)
6. Having a diet that is low in fruits and veggies
7. Having a diet that is low in fiber, high in fat, and/or high in processed meats
8. Drinking alcohol, especially excessively (more than 2 standard drinks per day for men or 1 drink per day for women)
9. Using tobacco products

So, what to do?  First, make the necessary lifestyle adjustments that will help reduce your risk.  Make healthy food your top priority.  Avoid wheat products – loaded with glyphosate.  Be sure to drink clean water and chew your food well.  Naturally, there are many other factors that contribute to cancer … to learn more, own the Stop Cancer Docu-Class, created by Jonathan Landsman.

And, of course, if you have questions: Talk to an integrative healthcare provider you trust, and remember – when it comes to your health, ignorance is rarely your friend.  Stay well-informed.  You deserve it!

Sources for this article include:

ACSJounrnals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
CDC.gov
Cancer.gov
Mayoclinic.org
ScientificAmerican.com