Abstract
The increasing incidence of colorectal cancer in younger adults (aged <50 years) has been widely reported. Using data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program, we found young-onset colorectal cancer incidence rates decreased from 1975 through about 1990. Decreases were more prominent in the colon, a contrast with more recent increases in rectal cancer. Incidence rates subsequently increased, differing by time period and 5-year age group. This inflection point is consistent with a birth cohort effect and points to early life exposures—accumulated throughout the life course—that may increase cancer risk. Studying early life exposures among persons born after 1960 may advance our understanding of colorectal cancer in younger adults.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 1716-1719.e4 |
Journal | Gastroenterology |
Volume | 155 |
Issue number | 6 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Dec 2018 |
Keywords
- Birth Cohort
- Colorectal Neoplasia
- Incidence
- Young Adult
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Hepatology
- Gastroenterology