But a new study<\/a> suggests that the burden isn\u2019t spread evenly, finding that deaths among younger adults are overwhelmingly concentrated in one group.<\/p>\n Researchers at the American Cancer Society analyzed government data on more than 101,000 adults ages 25 to 49 who died from colon and rectal cancers between 1994 and 2023. <\/p>\n Over that 30-year span, the overall death rate rose from about 3 to roughly 4 per 100,000 people in the age group.<\/p>\n Once they dug deeper, a stark divide emerged. <\/p>\n The increase was driven almost entirely by people without a four-year college degree. <\/p>\n In this group, death rates climbed from about 4 to 5.2 per 100,000, while rates for those with at least a bachelor\u2019s degree held steady at around 2.7 per 100,000.<\/p>\n Overall, the gap in death rates between people with a high school education or less and college graduates has nearly doubled since the mid-1990s.<\/p>\n Before you hit the course catalog, keep in mind the diploma isn\u2019t acting as a shield. <\/p>\n Education level is closely tied to income and access. People without college degrees are more likely to work lower-paying jobs<\/a> that don\u2019t offer health insurance or paid time off, making it harder to get preventive care or see a doctor early.<\/p>\n Those disadvantages don\u2019t stop at the workplace. They spill into daily life in ways that can raise disease risk.<\/p>\n For example, lower education is linked to poorer health literacy<\/a>, which can make it harder to understand symptoms and navigate the medical system.<\/p>\n People without college degrees are also more likely to live in neighborhoods with higher exposure to environmental pollutants<\/a> and fewer healthy food options<\/a> or fitness facilities. <\/p>\n On top of that, smoking rates tend to be higher<\/a>, while financial strain can drive chronic stress, another well-established risk factor for worse health outcomes. <\/p>\n While researchers are still trying to pinpoint exactly why colorectal cancer is rising so sharply in younger adults, many of these factors \u2014 including poor diet<\/a>, pollution exposure<\/a> and delayed care \u2014 are among the leading suspects.<\/p>\n In 2026, the American Cancer Society estimates<\/a> more than 158,000 new colorectal cancer cases will be diagnosed in the US, and over 55,000 people will die from the disease.<\/p>\n Nearly half of those diagnoses are expected to be in people younger than 65<\/a>, a sharp shift from the 1990s, when the disease was largely confined to older adults.<\/p>\n In response to the rising toll, the American Cancer Society lowered the recommended starting age for screening from 50 to 45 in 2021.<\/p>\n Doctors are also urging younger people to watch for warning signs<\/a> like changes in bowel habits, unexplained weight loss, abdominal pain, blood in stool and persistent fatigue.<\/p>\n![\"Doctor](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/intestine-appendix-digestive-system-doctor-125125224.jpg\")
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