Colorectal cancer is on the rise among people under 50.
Learn how our experts give our patients new hope by treating the disease and caring for the whole person.
If you or someone you care about is younger than 50 and has been diagnosed with colorectal cancer, you may be worried and confused. At Memorial Sloan Kettering, you will be cared for by doctors who understand how this disease affects you personally, and who will treat you with the most advanced surgical techniques and the best that medicine has to offer.
Our program provides coordinated care that focuses on concerns including your quality of life during and after treatment, preserving fertility, and the long-term effects of surviving cancer.
MSK’s Center for Young Onset Colorectal Cancer
MSK’s Center for Young Onset Colorectal Cancer is the first clinic of its kind in the world dedicated solely to the specific needs of people under 50 who have colorectal cancer. MSK doctors, nurses, and specialists have unparalleled expertise in surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, rehabilitation, and quality-of-life issues. We will work with you to determine the optimal treatment plan for your cancer to give you the best outcome possible.
MSK cares for hundreds of people with colorectal cancer under 50 each year. We are here to guide you every step of the way, so you can return to the things and people you love.
- MSK surgeons perform more robot-assisted minimally invasive surgeries for colorectal cancer than any other institution in the country. These procedures can shorten recovery time and reduce side effects.
- Our medical oncologists specialize in chemotherapy for colorectal cancer and can customize an approach for you. The goal is to find the best possible treatment while minimizing side effects.
- MSK specialists can treat colorectal cancer with the latest advances, including image-guided therapies using CT and MRI imaging, radiation therapy, and biologic treatments such as immunotherapy and targeted therapies.
- MSK has pioneered many new treatments for colorectal cancer, which are tested in clinical trials. These innovations can offer lifesaving therapies to MSK patients that may not be available anywhere else.
MSK’s team of colorectal cancer experts includes specialists in a variety of fields.
Gastroenterologist Robin Mendelsohn helped Katie Rich feel like herself again.
Medical oncologist Diane Reidy Lagunes believes people with colorectal cancer have the best outcomes when they receive counseling and support at the start of treatment.
Julio Garcia-Aguilar, Chief of the Colorectal Service, discusses treatment with team members.
Supporting You Through Treatment and Beyond
At MSK, we are committed to helping you in every way we can—physically, emotionally, and spiritually—for as long as you need us. In addition to your treatment plan, we’re focused on helping you before, during, and after treatment with support services designed for the specific needs of people with colorectal cancer under 50. These include:
- fertility
- sexual health for women and men
- psychiatry and psychology
- social work
- integrative medicine
- nutrition
Meet our experts in counseling and support
Learn more about improving your well-being during and after treatment
Kara was diagnosed with rectal cancer at age 28 and came to MSK from her home in Oklahoma. She talks about her experiences in her own words, reflecting on treatment, her family, and her feelings about the road ahead.
- By 2030, cases of colorectal cancer in people under 50 are expected to nearly double. (JAMA Surgery 2015)
- The death rate from colorectal cancer for people ages 20 to 54 rose between 2004 and 2014. Before then the death rate had been going down. (American Cancer Society)
- Most people under 50 with colorectal cancer do not have a family history of the disease. (American Cancer Society)
- MSK cares for more than 400 people each year who are younger than 50 with colorectal cancer.
Research
The Center for Young Onset Colorectal Cancer is conducting a major research effort to understand the cause behind the rise in diagnosis in young adults. This effort involves experts from across MSK, including researchers in genetics, pathology, immunology, and epidemiology — the statistical analysis of health.
The center’s research effort uses sophisticated testing to search for genetic weaknesses in colorectal cancer cells, which can lead to new treatments. These genetic tests include MSK-IMPACT™, which searches more than 400 genes for mutations and aberrations. This powerful tool can also help identify family members of patients who may be at risk of developing colorectal cancer.
Just weeks after delivering her third child, 33-year-old Katie Rich was terrified to learn she had stage IV colon cancer. Her treatment at MSK was on track until there was a new twist: Katie and her husband discovered she was pregnant again. Today Katie is healthy and looking forward to an important milestone.
