Why Are Young Adults Getting More Pancreatic & Colon Cancer?
Arvind Trindade, MD, discusses a large database study looking at rising rates of pancreatic and colon cancer in young adults.
A study published in JAMA examined the incidence trends of pancreatic and colorectal cancer in the US between 2000 and 2021 and found that these rates were on the rise in patients in the 15- to 34-year-old age group. Possibly the most pressing question from this research is why?
Arvind Trindade, MD, co-chief of endoscopy for Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital and advanced endoscopist at RWJBarnabas Health, and one of the study authors, noted that this large database study was not designed to answer the "why" behind these rising rates. However, he and other medical professionals have their hypotheses.
Environmental and lifestyle factors, including alcohol consumption, smoking, ultraprocessed foods, and exposure to toxins could play a role in increasing pancreatic and colorectal cancer rates in younger patients. Type 2 diabetes, which can be linked to obesity, and chronic pancreatitis can also be specific risk factors for pancreatic cancer, while inflammatory bowel disease is associated with a higher risk of colon cancer.
