CRC Deaths Under 50

New data published in JAMA Online shows that colorectal cancer is now the leading cause of cancer death in men and women under the age of 50 in the United States. Colorectal cancer deaths have increased 1.1% annually since 2005 moving it from the fifth highest cause of cancer-related death to number one. From 1990 through 2023, 1,267,520 people under the age of 50 died from colorectal cancer. This information underscores the urgent need for colorectal cancer prevention and early detection in younger adults. JAMA Published Online: January 22, 2026