Rectal Cancer Is Rising In Millennials. Doctors Have A Theory Why.

Rates of rectal cancer deaths are rising in adults under 50.

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The untimely deaths of actors Chadwick Boseman and James Van Der Beek, who both died of colorectal cancer in their 40s, have brought more awareness to the disease, which is impacting younger people at higher rates each year.

Colorectal cancer, which is the group name for colon and rectal cancer, is the leading cause of cancer deaths in adults under 50, and new research has found that rectal cancer deaths specifically are rising in adults in this age group — namely, millennials. According to NBC’s reporting, rectal cancer will be the top cause of cancer deaths in people under 50 by 2035 if the trend continues.

While rectal cancer is similar to colon cancer, the difference lies in where the cancer is located. “The rectum is considered a part of the colon ... it is the end of the colon before the anus,” explained Dr. Jatin Roper, a gastroenterologist with Duke Health and associate professor of medicine at Duke University School of Medicine in North Carolina. “Because the tissue is biologically fairly similar, rectal cancer is often categorised with colon cancer under the name of ‘colorectal cancer.’”

“Rectal cancers are tumours that start in the rectum. They’re similar to colon tumours in many ways,” said Dr. Michael Foote, a gastrointestinal medical oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York.

HuffPost spoke with doctors who pointed out the biggest warning signs of rectal cancer, along with guidance on what you can do to reduce your risk.

The most common signs of rectal cancer include bleeding and abdominal pain.

The most common symptom of rectal cancer is rectal bleeding. This red flag is particularly “much more common” in younger people with rectal cancer, Foote said. This could be blood in the stool or even maroon-coloured stools, according to Roper.

The blood can range in colour from bright red to dark red and can happen when you poop, or at random times throughout the day. The blood may appear in the poop itself or on the toilet paper when you wipe. This can cause some folks to confuse the bleeding for hemorrhoids or even........

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