Colorectal cancer rising in younger adults as calls grow to lower screening age in Canada – CTV
March 27, 2026
As colorectal cancer diagnoses increase among younger Canadians, advocates are renewing calls to lower the age of routine screening – a move that could catch the disease earlier.
According to the Canadian Cancer Society, people under 50 in Canada have the likelihood of a diagnosis up to 2.5 times higher than previous generations of the same age.
In an interview with CTV Your Morning Thursday, Dr. Enrique Sanz Garcia, a medical oncologist at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, said the increase can be linked to several factors, including diet, sedentarism — a type of lifestyle characterized by prolonged, habitual inactivity — and alcohol intake, all of which changes the gut microbiome and impacts bowels.
Several groups, including the Canadian Cancer Society, are urging policymakers to lower the recommended screening age from 50 to 45, citing a growing body of evidence that more cases are being diagnosed earlier in life.
