Colorectal cancer is no longer just a worry for retirees, and one NYU specialist wants New Yorkers to stop shrugging off the warning signs. Dr. Aasma Shaukat, a gastroenterologist at NYU Langone, told New Yorkers this week that doctors are seeing more colorectal cancer in younger adults and that seemingly minor issues should not be dismissed. She pointed to rectal bleeding, persistent changes in bowel habits and unexplained iron‑deficiency anemia as red flags, even for people in their 40s. Her warning comes as national data show a notable shift in who is developing the disease and how clinicians are being urged to respond.
National numbers back up her concern. According to the American Cancer Society, colorectal cancer is now the leading cause of cancer death among people under 50, and the group projects roughly 55,230 deaths from the disease in 2026. In its triennial Colorectal Cancer Statistics report, the ACS finds that incidence is climbing fastest in the distal colon and rectum, with rates among people ages 20–49 increasing about 3% per year through 2022. The report describes this as a birth‑cohort effect and calls for stepped‑up screening and more research to understand what is driving the trend.
Dr. Shaukat dug into those findings on Spectrum News NY1’s “The Rush Hour,” explaining what clinicians are seeing and outlining practical steps patients can take, as reported by Spectrum News NY1. In a separate explainer, NYU Langone quotes Shaukat saying “Rectal bleeding is often ignored” and emphasizing that early‑stage disease is highly curable when found in time. She also noted that many of the recently diagnosed younger adults are between 45 and 49 years old, the very group that is newly eligible for routine screening.
What Doctors Are Seeing In New York
On the ground in New York City, public health systems are already trying to get ahead of the problem. NYC Health + Hospitals reports that it screened nearly 60,000 patients for colorectal cancer using at‑home FIT kits in 2024, a 12% increase over 2023. The system credits improved workflows and mailed test kits with boosting returns and converting more outreach into completed screens. The city’s Citywide Colon Cancer Control Coalition has pushed patient navigation and quality measures to narrow screening gaps, especially in neighborhoods where uptake has lagged; see the Citywide Colon Cancer Control Coalition. Other communities are seeing similar warning signs, with Hoodline coverage from outside the city echoing the concern; see Baltimore docs sound alarm.
How To Get Screened
The US Preventive Services Task Force recommends that average‑risk adults start routine colorectal cancer screening at age 45, and it offers several ways to do it. The options include an annual FIT stool test, stool DNA testing and colonoscopy at recommended intervals. Guidance from the US Preventive Services Task Force notes that clinicians can choose among tests based on patient preference and what is realistically available. NYU Langone and other centers also highlight emerging blood‑based tests and improvements in colonoscopy quality as tools that may help reach people who shy away from direct‑visualization procedures.
Evidence suggests those efforts matter. Coverage of the ACS report summarized by AJMC notes that colonoscopy can reduce colorectal cancer incidence by about 40% and mortality by roughly 60% when screening programs and timely follow‑up are in place. That report also cautions that delays after a positive stool test chip away at those gains, so experts urge rapid diagnostic follow‑up. New Yorkers ages 45 to 75 are encouraged to talk with their primary‑care provider about which screening option fits them and to seek prompt evaluation if any concerning symptoms arise.
