Colorectal cancer is increasing among young people. It’s time to boost research on it

I am not writing here to talk about my husband, Chadwick Boseman, who died far too young from colorectal cancer. I am not here to give any glimpses into our obviously private life and his obviously private battle with this cancer, which is affecting far more young lives than it should.

The legacy he created is not about cancer and I hope you don’t remember him that way. Instead, remember him for his work. Remember him as Chadwick Boseman the actor, the writer, the leader, the inspiration.

His name was Chad if you were fortunate enough to know him, and Chadwick if you only knew him from afar. But even from a distance you could tell he was wonderful. He had a light that illuminated the darkest corner of every room and he walked with a power and purpose that gave honor to the source of his strength.

Chad was 39 when he was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer which, at the time, was 11 years away from the recommended age at which to begin screening for this disease. Today, the recommended age is 45, but I want to tell you that is still too late for many people. His diagnosis was a shock to us, but not an anomaly. Young people diagnosed with late-stage colorectal cancer are becoming more and more common every day. Most of these people are unaware they’re at risk for this cancer, and no one can explain why it’s happening.

More research is needed on this disease.

The increasing number of diagnoses among young people (those 49 and under) is a worrisome trend that isn’t understood by researchers. Young people diagnosed with colorectal cancer often have an advanced stage of the disease, posing significant challenges for effective treatment. Delays in understanding and addressing the issue translates to more young lives lost to this disease.

Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths among men and women in the United States, and the numbers are rapidly growing among young people. A recent report from the American Cancer Society shows that colorectal cancer has become the leading cancer killer in men under 50, and ranks second for young women, just behind breast cancer. Chad’s diagnosis may have been one that made people pay attention, but it was not an anomaly.

Despite its devastating impact, colorectal cancer is the only top-five cancer killer without its own research program within the Department of Defense’s Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program — lung, breast, prostate, and pancreatic cancers all have their own programs. A lack of dedicated funding hampers the ability to make meaningful progress in understanding and treating this deadly disease.

United in our mission to prioritize early-age onset colorectal cancer research, I, along with the national advocacy organization Fight Colorectal Cancer and hundreds of other colorectal cancer survivors and caregivers, push for research funding that this disease desperately needs.

Colorectal cancer research is eligible for funding through the military’s Peer Reviewed Cancer Research Program, where it must compete against dozens of other cancers for a limited amount of dollars. This model leaves necessary research and information on the table. In 2022, this program received 66 colorectal cancer research applications. Of those, 25 were deemed “meritorious,” yet only nine of them were funded. The lack of a dedicated research program and strategic plan for colorectal cancer not only stifles innovation but also represents countless lives lost and potentially improved outcomes for people with colorectal cancer.

I call on Congress to prioritize early-onset colorectal cancer research within the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program as part of a dedicated research program and assure it receives the funding needed to support innovative research. If the country starts investing in research today, it can make significant strides toward reducing the burden of colorectal cancer and improving the lives of patients and their families.

Simone Ledward-Boseman is an artist, advocate, and caregiver.