Study finds colorectal cancer leading form of cancer deaths in people under 50

A JAMA study released Jan. 22 found that colorectal cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in people under age 50. The study examined cancer mortality in the U.S. among the five leading causes from 1990 through 2023. Among the findings, from 2014-2023 there were average annual declines in deaths from brain cancer (0.3%), breast cancer (1.4%), leukemia (2.3%) and lung cancer (5.7%). Colorectal cancer was the only condition in the top five that increased, averaging a 1.1% increase annually since 2005, and becoming the most common form of cancer death in 2023. It ranked fifth from 1990-1994.