Health
Rectal cancer deaths rising up to three times faster in specific age group, study finds
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Rectal cancer deaths are rising at a significantly faster rate than colon cancer among younger Americans, a trend that researchers warn will continue to escalate without a shift in treatment.
Mortality rates for rectal cancer are growing two to three times faster than those for colon cancer among adults aged 20 to 44, according to a study to be presented at Digestive Disease Week 2026 in Chicago.
The data suggests that for older millennials, specifically those between the ages of 35 and 44, rectal cancer mortality is projected to escalate through 2035.
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“Colorectal cancer is no longer considered predominantly a disease of older adults,” said lead author Mythili Menon Pathiyil, a gastroenterology fellow at SUNY Upstate Medical University. “Rectal cancer, especially, is becoming a growing problem in younger individuals.”
The researchers analyzed Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) death records from 1999 to 2023.
Hispanic adults and residents of Western states experienced the steepest increases in rectal cancer deaths. (Getty Images)
Using a machine learning model to project future trends, the team found that the mortality gap between the two types of cancer is widening across every demographic.
Hispanic adults and residents of Western states experienced the steepest increases in rectal cancer deaths, the study found.
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A primary concern raised by the research is the diagnostic delay often experienced by younger patients.
“Young people are being diagnosed with rectal cancers at increasingly younger ages — and often at more advanced, aggressive stages of disease,” Rachel Gordon, M.D., a New York-based colorectal and general surgeon at Episcopal Health Services, told Fox News Digital.
While older adults typically begin treatment within a month of symptoms appearing, it takes an average of seven months for young adults to move from first symptoms to treatment. (iStock)
“We’re seeing a combination of lifestyle and environmental exposures, including diet and changes in the gut microbiome, potentially playing a role,” said Gordon, who was not involved in the study.
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Older adults tend to begin treatment within a month of symptoms starting — but young adults face an average seven-month delay before getting care.
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Pathiyil noted that primary care providers often dismiss red-flag symptoms in young people — such as rectal bleeding or changes in bowel habits — as benign conditions like hemorrhoids.
Experts say it’s most likely to worsen over time if we don’t change what we are doing right now. (iStock)
“If something doesn’t feel right, or if you experience symptoms such as rectal bleeding (bright red or dark), persistent changes in bowel habits (including diarrhea or constipation), narrow stools, a feeling of incomplete bowel emptying, abdominal pain, unexplained weight loss or fatigue, it’s important to see your doctor promptly,” Gordon advised.
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The findings suggest that current screening strategies may need to be reevaluated, according to Pathiyil.
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“Our study shows that rectal cancer is driving much of the increase in colorectal cancers,” she added.
“It’s likely to worsen over time if we don’t change what we are doing right now.”
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The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is amending its list of permissible sunscreen ingredients for the first time in more than 25 years.
On Tuesday, the federal health agency signed off on allowing bemotrizinol to be added to sunscreen products after it met the FDA’s standard for protecting against dangerous ultraviolet rays and causing little irritation or absorption into the skin, according to the Associated Press.
This addition gives Americans access to a skin-protecting chemical that has been historically used in Europe and other parts of the world.
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Bemotrizinol will initially be sold in the U.S. as Parsol Shield, manufactured by Dutch company DSM Nutritional Products, expected to launch later in 2026, the AP reported. The ingredient will be available for use by other manufacturers after an 18-month exclusivity period.
The FDA has signed off on allowing bemotrizinol to be added to sunscreen products. (iStock)
DSM (the sunscreen ingredient company) submitted a format request for the FDA to approve bemotrizinol as a new sunscreen ingredient in the U.S., allowing its use in over-the-counter sunscreens at concentrations up to 6%.
In a December press release announcing the proposal of this request, the FDA noted that bemotrizinol is “generally recognized” as safe and effective for adults and children 6 months and older.
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FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, MD, MPH, commented in a statement that the agency has “historically moved too slowly in this area, leaving Americans with fewer options than consumers abroad.”
Bemotrizinol is “generally recognized” as safe and effective for adults and children 6 months and older, according to the FDA. (iStock)
“We’re continuing to modernize the regulation of sunscreen and other over-the-counter drug products,” he said in the release. “Americans deserve timely access to the best safe, effective and consumer-friendly over-the-counter products available.”
In the same news release, Karen Murry, MD, acting director of the Office of Nonprescription Drugs in Maryland, commented that bemotrizinol “would be a welcome addition to the current array of effective sunscreen active ingredients already available to American consumers.”
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“We look forward to working with other companies on bringing products containing other new active ingredients to market for a wide array of conditions in multiple therapeutic areas, in a much more timely fashion than was possible in the past,” she added.
The FDA encourages the public to use sunscreen with other protective measures. (iStock)
The FDA continues to regulate sunscreen products to ensure that they meet safety and effectiveness standards, while encouraging the public to use numerous protective measures.
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This includes using broad-spectrum sunscreens SPF 15 or higher to help reduce the risk of skin cancer and signs of aging, along with wearing protective clothing and limiting time in the sun.
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