March 2, 2026- Colorectal cancer rates in the United States are moving in two very different directions, according to a new report released from the American Cancer Society (ACS). While the disease continues to decline among older adults, rates are rising in people under 65, particularly among younger adults, signaling a troubling shift in who is being affected.
The triennial report, Colorectal Cancer Statistics, 2026, finds that this increase is being driven largely by cancers in the distal colon (the last section, adjacent to the rectum) and the rectum. As a result, rectal cancer now makes up nearly one‑third (32% up from 27% in the mid‐2000s) of all colorectal cancer diagnoses. The findings are published today in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, the flagship journal of ACS.