The deadly type of cancer is on the rise among younger adults in Canada and the United States, new data from the American Cancer Society shows. The rate of colon cancer in patients under the age of 50 increased by two percent between 2011 and 2019, but doctors still don't know the exact reason.

"We know that rates of this type of cancer are increasing among young people," said Rebecca Segal, lead author of the new colorectal cancer study from the American Cancer Society, reports Msn.

The situation is alarming

"It's alarming to see how quickly the cancer population is getting younger despite the decline in the overall population," Segal continued.

"The trend toward advanced disease in people of all ages is also surprising," added the American Cancer Society researcher. But doctors in Canada have also seen a similar trend in the rise of colon cancer among Canadians, according to Lauren Pelley of CBS News.

On the rise in both sexes

A 2019 study of colorectal cancer rates among Canadian adults found that the disease is on the rise in both sexes, with the rate of diagnosis being slightly higher in women.

"The incidence of colon cancer in younger adults increased from 2006 to 2015 among men with an annual percentage change of 3,47 percent and from 2010 to 2015 among women with an annual percentage change of 4,45 percent," wrote the authors of the study.

In May, the Canadian Cancer Society expected colorectal cancer to be the fourth most commonly diagnosed cancer among Canadians in 2022.

Second leading cause of cancer death in men and third in women

"It is the second leading cause of cancer death in men and the third leading cause of cancer death in women," the Canadian Cancer Society wrote on its website.

Of the 24.300 Canadians diagnosed with colon cancer in 2022, the Canadian Cancer Society says 9.400 will die from the disease. What's most concerning about all this new data is that doctors don't seem to know why rates among younger adults are on the rise in Canada and the United States.

What can make colorectal cancer worse?

According to Elizabeth Holmes of the Canadian Cancer Society, unhealthy diet, lack of physical activity, as well as smoking and alcohol consumption, could be some of the reasons why doctors are seeing more and more younger people with colorectal cancer. Staying healthy is the best way to avoid colorectal cancer, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. You can reduce your risk by "increasing physical activity, maintaining a healthy body weight, limiting alcohol consumption and avoiding nicotine."

Get tested early

Early detection of colorectal cancer is also very important.

"Colon cancer screening can detect precancerous polyps so they can be removed before they turn into cancer," the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website states.