Colorectal cancer in young people: Cases under 50 relatively rare in Germany

Colorectal cancer rates are increasing among younger individuals in Germany, but a new study reveals the trend is significantly less pronounced than in the United States. Researchers analyzing cancer registry data from nine German states found that while the incidence is rising, particularly among those aged 20 to 39, the overall increase does not warrant lowering the recommended screening age.

The study, published in the International Journal of Cancer, contrasted Germany's situation with that of the US, where colorectal cancer has become more common in younger adults, prompting a reduction in the screening age from 50 to 45. In Germany, however, the incidence rate for those aged 40 to 49 remained stable over the past two decades, and rates actually declined for individuals over 50.

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Only about five percent of cases occur in people under 50.

Based on these findings, the study's authors concluded there is no immediate need to lower Germany's standard screening age of 50. Thomas Seufferlein, medical director of Internal Medicine at Ulm University Hospital, supported this assessment, noting that the vast majority of tumors are diagnosed after age 50. "Only about five percent of cases occur in people under 50," he stated, contrasting sharply with the US figure of 14%.

Epidemiologist Ulrike Haug from the Leibniz Institute for Prevention Research and Epidemiology further emphasized the importance of considering the low absolute numbers of cases in younger age groups. She reported that in Germany, the rate for 20- to 29-year-olds is less than two cases per 100,000 people, and for 30- to 39-year-olds, it is under eight. In comparison, rates for those over 50 range from about 100 to 150 per 100,000.

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In Germany, the rate for 20- to 29-year-olds is less than two cases per 100,000 people, and for 30- to 39-year-olds, it is under eight.