Colorectal and pancreatic adenocarcinoma incidence rates increased the most among young adults between 2000 and 2021, according to a study published April 14 in JAMA Network Open.
Researchers from the Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, both based in New Brunswick, N.J., analyzed data from the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results database for the study, according to an April 14 news release from RWJBarnabas Health.
Here are four notes from the study:
- Researchers analyzed more than 275,000 pancreatic adenocarcinoma and 215,000 colorectal adenocarcinoma cases between 2000 and 2021 to identify the annual percentage change in incidence for three age groups.
- The annual change of pancreas adenocarcinoma incidence among young adults ages 15-34 was 4.35%.
The annual change for adults ages 35-54 and for adults ages 55 or older was 1.54% and 1.74%, respectively. - The annual change of colorectal adenocarcinoma incidence among young adults ages 15-34 was 1.75%.
The annual change for adults ages 35-54 and for adults ages 55 or older was 0.78% and -3.31%, respectively.
- “These findings suggest that heightened awareness of this trend of increasing pancreas and colorectal cancer incidence is necessary when evaluating younger patients with possible corresponding symptoms,” the study authors wrote.
Read the full study here.
