July 23, 2026- You may have heard that colorectal cancer is increasingly affecting young adults. However, it is not the only gastrointestinal (GI) cancer that doctors are diagnosing in patients below the age of 50. Early-onset gastrointestinal cancers are defined as GI cancers diagnosed in people under 50 years old, according to Mayo Clinic. Research shows that the most common type of early-onset GI cancer worldwide is colorectal cancer, followed by stomach cancer, esophageal cancer and pancreatic cancer. Less common types of early-onset GI cancers include bile duct, gallbladder, appendix, neuroendocrine and small bowel cancers.
Young adults diagnosed with GI cancers often need multidisciplinary care due to differences in cancer biology, as well as unique social and life-stage needs. Recommendations for when people at average risk for colorectal cancer should be screened vary by country but generally start in their 40s or early 50s. In the U.S., colorectal cancer screening is recommended to start at age 45 for people at average risk; people with risk factors such as a family history of colorectal cancer may need to start screening earlier.