Rectal cancer deaths are rising at a significantly faster rate than  colon cancer  among younger Americans, a trend that researchers warn will continue to escalate without a shift in treatment. Mortality rates for rectal cancer are growing two to three times faster than those for colon cancer among adults aged 20 to 44, according to a study to be presented at Digestive Disease Week 2026 in Chicago. The data suggests that for older millennials, specifically those between the ages of 35 and 44,