Study: Colorectal cancer is top cause of cancer death in Americans under 50

Colorectal cancer deaths are on the rise, while the other top causes of cancer death have fallen by 44% overall in the past three decades, according to a new study from the American Cancer Society. The study, which looked at 1.2 million cancer deaths between 1990 and 2023, found colorectal cancer deaths increased a little more than 1% every year. Lung, leukemia and breast cancer deaths fell by up to 6% annually. Experts attribute much of the improvement in many cancer mortality rates to better treatments and a drop in tobacco use. While the number of breast cancer diagnoses increased among women during the study period, deaths decreased by an average of 1.4% annually. Breast cancer is still the leading cause of cancer death among younger women.