• Posted April 17, 2026

Rising Colon Cancer Deaths Hit Younger Adults Without Degrees Hardest

A growing number of younger adults are dying from colon cancer, but the increase isn’t affecting everyone in the same way.

New research, published April 16 in JAMA Oncology, shows the rise in colon cancer deaths is happening mostly among adults without a four-year college degree. That suggests social and economic factors could be driving the surge.

Researchers from the American Cancer Society (ACS) looked at data from more than 101,000 adults ages 25 to 49 who died of colon cancer between 1994 and 2023.

Overall, the death rate in this age group rose from about 3 per 100,000 people to about 4 per 100,000.

But that increase was higher among those with less education, The Associated Press reported.

For people with only a high school education, the death rate rose from 4 to 5.2 per 100,000. For those with at least a bachelor’s degree, the rate stayed steady at about 2.7 per 100,000.

Experts said education itself isn’t the cause, but it often reflects other factors.

People without college degrees are more likely to have lower incomes, less access to health care, poorer diets and fewer opportunities for regular exercise.

Colon cancer is now the second only to lung cancer as a cause of cancer death in the U.S. The ACS projects more than 158,000 new cases will be diagnosed in 2026, and more than 55,000 people will die from the disease this year.

Among adults under 50, about 3,900 deaths are expected, roughly 7% of the total.

Researchers say the reasons behind the rise in younger adults are unclear. But known risk factors include obesity, low physical activity, diets high in red or processed meat and family history of the disease, The Associated Press said.

Study author Dr. Ahmedin Jemal said the findings highlight the need for greater awareness and earlier screening.

In 2021, the ACS lowered the recommended starting age for colon cancer screening from 50 to 45.

Warning signs can include blood in the stool, changes in bowel habits, unexplained weight loss and ongoing stomach pain.

More information

The Mayo Clinic has more on colon cancer.

SOURCE: The Associated Press, April 16, 2026