Last year’s death of Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman brought into sharp focus a disturbing fact -- colorectal cancers are on the rise in young people.
But why?
Let’s connect the dots.
Boseman was diagnosed with colon cancer in his late 30s and he is not alone.
Younger adults are increasingly being diagnosed with what was once thought of as an old person disease. And while the numbers were up for them, they actually went down for patients 65 years and older.
In fact, experts say someone born in 1990 has double the risk of colon cancer and quadruple the risk of rectal cancer compared to someone born in 1950.
Doctors don’t think there is one single reason why this increase is happening. They point to rising rates of obesity among young people -- too little exercise and unhealthy eating habits.
The other problem is doctors are less likely to suspect colorectal cancers in younger patients.
Despite the awareness raised by Boseman’s untimely death, screening for colorectal cancers is down due to the pandemic.
Doctors warn this is especially dangerous for young adults.
Experts say if you don’t feel comfortable during the pandemic for an in-person visit, there are at-home screening kits available.