Here’s some gut-wrenching news.
A troubling complication of colorectal cancer, the third-most common cancer in the US, is showing up in young adults at alarming rates.
The American Cancer Society projected for 2025 that there would be over 154,000 new cases of colorectal cancer and 52,900 deaths.
The cancer — which traditionally hits older adults but is rapidly increasing in younger people — occurs when cells on the inner lining of the colon or rectum grow abnormally.
Approximately 25% to 30% of colorectal cancer patients develop liver metastases, which means that the cancer has spread to the liver.
Now, a large Danish study released Monday found that those under the age of 50 had the highest rates of liver metastasis, with nearly 29% of participants showing signs of it.
Dr. Christine Molmenti, an associate professor and cancer epidemiologist at Northwell Health, suggested that people under 50 are often diagnosed with colorectal cancer at a later, more advanced stage.
“Because of this late diagnosis, [young people] are more likely to experience metastases and diseases that have spread through the body,” she told The Post.
The study found that those who were diagnosed with colorectal cancer earlier had higher survival rates, as opposed to those who had late-stage metastasis.
“Survival can be as low as 15% to 16% when diagnosed at late stages versus 90% survival when diagnosed over five years at a localized stage,” Molmenti explained.
Survival rates also improved dramatically for those whose metastases were found at the same time as the original tumor.
One reason for the late-stage diagnoses is that symptoms in people under 50 can be confused for other conditions.
“When a young person — say in their early 30s — presents symptoms to their doctor, they don’t always leave with the correct diagnosis of colorectal cancer,” Molmenti said.
“When someone is over 50 and presents with symptoms, it is more likely that colorectal cancer is suspected.”
Early stages of colorectal cancer may present no signs — or there could be abdominal pain, unexpected bleeding, darker stools or unexplained weight loss.
“For a young woman who presents with abdominal pain or bleeding, some of these symptoms may be misinterpreted as manifestations of menstrual cycle findings or inflammatory bowel disease,” Molmenti said. “And that is where we run into trouble with this late-stage disease in young people.”
Though researchers don’t know exactly why colorectal cancer is spiking among younger people, Molmenti recommends evaluating your diet to lower your risk.
“The latest research indicates that ultra-processed foods are associated with a 45% increased risk of colorectal cancer among women,” she said. “Everything that you eat, either in its totality or metabolites of that food, touches your colon.”
Instead of junk food, Molmenti suggests sticking to “protective” foods, namely “high fibrous ‘whole grain’ foods that are in their natural form [and] foods high in polyphenols… like green tea, nuts, seeds and olive oil.”
“These are non-nutritive plant-based chemicals in certain foods that are dark blue and dark purples… indicative of anti-cancer plant-chemicals called anthocyanins,” she added.
But the best possible way to reduce late-stage diagnoses among the young is awareness.
“We’re really trying to increase awareness to young people and providers so that symptoms aren’t dismissed, and young patients can advocate for themselves,” Molmenti said.
“So that the disease is caught as early as possible and that care is comprehensive to hopefully mitigate late-stage disease and the potential for metastasis.”
