Colorectal Cancer News and Research

Latest Colorectal Cancer News and Research

Colorectal cancer cases rise among younger adults in Germany

Colorectal cancer is generally considered a disease of older adults. However, a new analysis of German cancer registries shows that the number of new colorectal cancer cases among younger adults has risen slightly over the past two decades.

23 Jun 2026

Accelerated biological aging may drive rising early-onset cancer risk

Cancer is often considered a disease of aging. Older adults are at higher risk because they have had more time to accumulate cellular damage that can trigger tumor formation.

22 Jun 2026

Study identifies risk factors for early-onset colorectal cancer

A recent study found that factors such as a person's birthweight, sex, ethnicity, and father's age may affect the risk of being diagnosed with colorectal cancer at a young age.

22 Jun 2026

GATA6 loss transforms colorectal cancer cells into metastatic states

Loss of GATA6-a transcription factor that controls which genes are turned on or off-can reprogram colorectal cancer cells into more primitive, adaptable states that can then spread to the liver and establish new tumors, according to Weill Cornell Medicine and Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers.

22 Jun 2026

Researchers advocate local data strategies for early cancer detection

Researchers are calling for the application of locally driven strategies, supported by stronger regional evidence, to improve early cancer detection and precise care.

22 Jun 2026

Synthetic gut communities reveal how diet rewires the microbiome

Synthetic microbial communities give researchers controlled models for testing how diet reshapes gut microbial ecology, metabolism, and host-relevant responses. The review highlights how SynComs can strengthen causal inference, improve intervention testing, and support future precision nutrition, while noting major challenges in stability, standardization, and ecological realism.

21 Jun 2026

Gene deletion exposes hidden colon cancer cells to immunotherapy attack

A study from the University of Calgary shows that removing a single gene makes colon cancer cells a target for immunotherapy - a fundamental breakthrough.

18 Jun 2026

AGA experts highlight benefits and limits of colorectal cancer screening tests

As new colorectal cancer screening guidance draws attention to the growing number of testing options, the American Gastroenterological Association urges patients and primary care providers to understand how those options compare.

17 Jun 2026

Targeting immune cells could improve colorectal cancer treatments

Researchers at the Medical University of Vienna have described a mechanism in metastatic colorectal cancer that has received little attention to date: a key target of existing therapies, the so-called epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), is likely to affect more than just the cancer cells themselves.

17 Jun 2026

Higher BMI raises risk for 19 cancers as global review expands the obesity-cancer link

A major systematic review and meta-analysis links higher BMI to increased risk of 19 cancer types, including leukemia, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, bladder cancer, and glioma, which were not previously recognized in major consensus reports. The study also reveals regional and sex-based variation in cancer risk, with genetic evidence generally supporting many observational links while highlighting the need for more diverse global cohorts.

17 Jun 2026

Novel analysis identifies unique proliferation gene alterations in diverse cancer patients

New research to be presented today (Monday) at the annual conference of the European Society of Human Genetics shows that a cancer patient's genetic ancestry can have a significant effect both on how their disease progresses and their survival. In the largest study of its kind, researchers examined nearly 1,900 specific genetic changes in tumors in order to measure whether certain mutations were more common in patients with different historic geographic origins.

15 Jun 2026

FDA accepts immunotherapy drug for review in colon cancer treatment

The Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology (Alliance) today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has accepted for review Genentech's supplemental Biologic License Application for their immunotherapy drug atezolizumab (Tecentriq®) for the treatment of patients with stage III colon cancer with deficient deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) mismatch repair (dMMR).

11 Jun 2026

Study identifies key protein driving colon cancer drug resistance

One of the most widely used chemotherapeutic agents for colorectal cancer is 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), a cornerstone treatment that has improved outcomes for countless patients.

9 Jun 2026

Microenvironmental CTHRC1 protein promotes colorectal cancer tumor growth

A new research paper was published in Volume 17 of Oncotarget on May 20, 2026, titled "Microenvironmental CTHRC1 has a pro-tumorigenic role in colorectal cancer."

2 Jun 2026

Mature intestinal cells regain stem cell behavior to trigger tumor growth

In a groundbreaking study, Stevens researchers show how colorectal cancers can evolve from mature intestinal cells that revert to stem cells.

1 Jun 2026

Gut changes linger years after polyp removal and may signal colorectal cancer risk

Researchers found that women who had undergone colorectal adenoma resection still showed gut microbiome and fecal metabolome alterations an average of about 12 years later. These persistent changes partly resembled colorectal cancer-associated patterns, suggesting that the host-microbiome axis may remain altered along the adenoma-cancer continuum.

28 May 2026

Finnish researchers use AI to accelerate colorectal cancer diagnostics

Researchers at the Faculty of Information Technology at the University of Jyväskylä have used artificial intelligence to speed up the analysis of colorectal cancer samples and predict the functioning of the cells' DNA repair mechanism.

28 May 2026

Persistent gut microbiome changes linked to sustained colorectal cancer risk

More than a decade after removal of an adenoma-a precancerous mass-from the colon, alterations to the gut microbiome and metabolites remain and may drive heightened risk of colorectal cancer (CRC), according to a new study led by researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

27 May 2026

New colorectal cancer screening guidelines emphasize advanced stool tests

With colorectal cancer a growing concern among younger people, the American Cancer Society has endorsed two new types of stool tests to encourage people to get screened while also recommending a limited role for new blood tests many patients find appealing.

27 May 2026