WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Katie Britt introduced bipartisan legislation this week with Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff to help increase detection and awareness of colorectal cancer in young Americans.
The Colorectal Cancer Early Detection Act would create a grant program for states to support early detection and diagnostic testing for colorectal cancer in young individuals. The funds could also be used to increase outreach and education about colorectal cancer and its risk factors.
The introduction of the bill comes amid a rise in colorectal cancer among young people nationwide. Colorectal cancer is now the leading cause of cancer deaths in Americans under the age of 50, according to an American Cancer Society analysis released this year.
Nearly half, or 45%, of new diagnoses are currently in individuals younger than 65 years, up from 27% in 1995.
“The staggering rise in colorectal cancer we’re seeing across the country demands action,” Britt, R-Ala., said in a statement. “We know that this especially aggressive cancer is affecting younger Americans now more than ever. We must give states and healthcare providers the resources they need to better inform and treat the public, which is why I’m proud to introduce this legislation with Senator Ossoff.”
A University of Chicago Medicine gastroenterologist, Dr. Sonia Kupfer, said the rise in cases in young people remains unclear, but she points to environmental influences and lifestyle factors such as diet, heavy alcohol consumption and physical inactivity as potential risk factors.
Under the legislation, states could use the money to develop and implement a public awareness campaign about early detection, signs and symptoms of the cancer. The grant funding could help support outreach to medical professionals and could be used to conduct surveillance on other risk factors that could be associated with colorectal cancer in young people.
The grant program could also provide support for patients navigating early detection screening. Grants would last for five years.
“Early cancer detection saves lives, and too many Georgians have shared heartbreaking stories with me about losing loved ones to colorectal cancer,” Ossoff, D-Ga., said in a statement. “I’m introducing this bipartisan bill with Senator Britt to expand early detection of colorectal cancer and better protect young Georgians from this devastating disease.”
In Alabama, nearly 2,700 individuals will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer this year, according to the American Cancer Society.
Colorectal cancer rates in Alabamians under 50 have also risen nearly every year since 2002. The latest data from the National Cancer Institute shows that in 2022, about 12 individuals per 1,000 people were diagnosed in Alabama compared to about 8 per 100,000 at the beginning of the new millennium.