Are lifestyle factors increasing rates of early-onset colon cancer?

In 10 seconds? Rates of colorectal cancer among people under 50 have shot up in the last thirty years in high-income countries. While the exact causes aren’t clear, researchers suspect the Western lifestyle may be to blame.

Listen to the audio So, what exactly is happening? Between 1988-2015, rates of colorectal cancer (CRC) among the under 50s (AKA early-onset CRC) have increased by 63% (From 7.9 to 12.9 per 100,000 people) - and numbers are still on the rise. What's more, is that these cancers tend to be diagnosed at a later stage and have a poorer prognosis than CRC diagnosed in people over the age of 50.: