Colon Cancer Increase Among Younger Patients Confounds Doctors
An American Cancer Society report finds that colorectal cancer rates are growing among people under 55 — once considered very young for the disease — and that cases are being diagnosed at more advanced, dangerous stages. Doctors so far can't explain the "worrisome trend" and urge people to get screenings.
The Wall Street Journal:
More Younger People Are Getting Colorectal Cancers, And Doctors Don’t Know Why
A larger share of people are being diagnosed with colorectal cancer at a younger age and at a more dangerous stage of the disease, a report showed. Doctors aren’t sure why. The American Cancer Society said Wednesday that about 20% of new colorectal cancer diagnoses were in patients under 55 in 2019, compared with 11% in 1995. Some 60% of new colorectal cancers in 2019 were diagnosed at advanced stages, the research and advocacy group said, compared with 52% in the mid-2000s and 57% in 1995, before screening was widespread. (Abbott, 3/1)
CBS News:
Colon Cancer Rates Keep Rising In Younger Age Group, New Study Finds
Sixty percent of new cases are advanced-stage disease. "Shockingly, 1 in 5 people who will be diagnosed presently are younger than 55 years of age, which is quite young for colorectal cancer," says American Cancer Society CEO Dr. Karen Knudsen. (3/1)
The Washington Post:
More Colon Cancer Cases Found In Younger People, New Report Shows
There is also an unexplained shift in the incidence of “left-sided” tumors, suggesting that the biology of the disease could be changing, prompting a need for a new approach in prevention and more research into targeted treatments. (Amenabar, 3/1)
CNN:
Colorectal Cancer Rising Among Adults Younger Than 55, Report Shows
The new report also says that more people are surviving colorectal cancer, with the relative survival rate at least five years after diagnosis rising from 50% in the mid-1970s to 65% from 2012 through 2018, partly due to advancements in treatment. That’s good news, said Dr. Paul Oberstein, a medical oncologist at NYU Langone Perlmutter Cancer Center, who was not involved in the new report. The overall trends suggest that colorectal cancer incidence and death rates have been slowly declining. (Howard, 3/1)
In other cancer news —
FiercePharma:
Overburdened Oncologists Spur Need For Short, Impactful Messages
Pharma is becoming a victim of its own success in oncology. Striving to keep pace with the progress of the industry’s well-stocked pipeline, oncologists are facing information overload on top of the continued fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pressures are creating a need for new marketing strategies. ... Oncologists are pulling double and triple shifts to cope with staff shortages that have intensified since the start of the pandemic. And with 22% of oncologists nearing retirement, the situation could get worse before it gets better. (Taylor, 3/1)
Reuters:
California Fertility Clinic Sued For Using Embryo With Deadly Cancer Gene
A California couple sued a Pasadena-based fertility clinic on Wednesday, saying it allegedly implanted an embryo carrying a rare gene that causes deadly stomach cancer and then falsified records to cover up its mistake. In their lawsuit against HRC Fertility, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, Jason and Melissa Diaz said their son, now a year old, will require total stomach removal surgery as a young adult to prevent or treat the cancer. They said they went to HRC Fertility specifically to avoid having a child with the gene, which Jason carries. (Pierson, 3/1)
Houston Chronicle:
Rep. Joaquin Castro's Health Plan Points To A New Texas Trend
News this week that U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro is undergoing cancer treatment drew renewed attention to congressional health insurance plans — gold-level Affordable Care Act coverage similar to that gaining popularity in Texas. (Wermund, 3/2)
