Chasing Life Why Are So Many Young People Getting Cancer?
15 snips
Oct 10, 2025 Dr. Kimmie Ng, a leading gastrointestinal oncologist and founding director of the Young-Onset Colorectal Cancer Center at Dana-Farber, discusses alarming trends in cancer diagnoses among young adults. She outlines how prevalence is soaring, particularly with colorectal cancer, and attributes some causes to lifestyle, genetics, and early-life exposures. Ng emphasizes the importance of screening, identifying red flags, and breaking stigma around bowel health, while advocating for tailored prevention strategies.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Firsthand Shock Of Young Stage 4 Cases
- Dr. Kimmie Ng described seeing perfectly healthy young people present with stage 4 colorectal cancer.
- That observation motivated creation of a Young-Onset Colorectal Cancer Center to support patients and research causes.
Birth-Cohort Pattern Points To Environment
- Young-onset colorectal cancer is rising steadily since the mid-1990s and shows a birth-cohort effect.
- Someone born in 1990 has much higher risk than someone born in 1950, suggesting recent environmental causes.
Westernized Countries Show Largest Rise
- The increase in young-onset colorectal cancer is strongest in Westernized, high-income countries.
- Trends are steady and could make it the leading cause of cancer death in young women by 2030.
