Overview
- Two major July reviews in JAMA and the British Journal of Surgery report a 14.8% global increase in early-onset GI cancers between 2010 and 2019, with notable rises in colorectal, pancreatic, gastric and esophageal tumors.
- Colorectal cancer accounts for over half of early-onset GI cases worldwide, with U.S. incidence in 20–24-year-olds jumping 185% and European rates in 20–29-year-olds rising 7.9%.
- Fewer than one in five U.S. adults aged 45–49 underwent recommended colorectal screening in 2021, and no routine screening protocols exist for other gastrointestinal cancers.
- Key drivers include modifiable risks—obesity, poor diet, sedentary lifestyle, smoking and alcohol—and pathogenic germline variants present in 15–30% of early-onset patients.
- Health authorities are urging broader screening criteria beyond age 45, targeted prevention campaigns and universal genetic testing for patients diagnosed before 50 to improve early detection and outcomes.