Higher colon cancer rates may reflect earlier screening success

A recent uptick in new colorectal cancer cases in the United States among a key age group appears to be due to catching them early with screening.

From 2004 to 2019, there was a steady annual rise in new colorectal cancers for those 45 to 49 years old. Then cases shot up dramatically from 2019 to 2022, spurred by a jump in early cancers. That time frame overlaps with the change to the recommended age to start screening, which went from 50 to 45. It’s likely that the recent…