Study Analyzes 189 Tumors to Explain Young-Onset Colon Cancer Surge
Boston researchers found higher stromal cell counts in younger patients, offering a new path for targeted therapies.
By David Almasi ·
A new study published Thursday in Nature Medicine identifies distinct biological differences in the tumors of young patients with colorectal cancer, providing a critical dataset for researchers seeking to reverse the rising disease trend.
Scientists from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Mass General Brigham, and the Broad Institute analyzed 189 tumors from individuals aged 20 to 90. The cohort included 54 patients diagnosed before age 50. The team examined more than 850,000 individual cells to map how the cancer develops across different age groups.
In the United States, colorectal cancer rates for people under 50 increased by nearly 3 percent annually from 2013 through 2022, according to the American Cancer Society. The disease has become the leading cause of cancer death in that age group. Prior research often focused on external factors such as diet and ultra-processed foods. This study shifts the focus to the internal cellular structure of the tumors.
The researchers found that tumors in younger patients contained a much higher proportion of stromal cells. These are connective and supporting cells within the tumor microenvironment. Studies on other solid cancers have linked high stromal cell counts to resistance to chemotherapy. The study also detected differences in gene expression patterns between the younger and older patient groups.
Ana Anderson, a senior author and faculty member at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, described the condition as a "black box" before this data was available. She said the new findings provide a specific path for developing tailored therapies for young-onset colon cancer.
Kimmie Ng, director of the Young-Onset Colorectal Cancer Center at Dana-Farber, noted that this is the largest dataset of its kind. The study includes the highest number of young patients to date. She stated that the data serves as a guidepost for directing future research efforts toward understanding why younger patients are developing the disease.
John Paul Shen, an associate professor at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center who was not involved in the study, called the dataset hugely valuable. He said it allows for clear experiments that his lab and other institutions can conduct. However, experts noted that the study draws from a limited number of people. Christina Annunziata, senior vice president of extramural discovery science at the American Cancer Society, called the dataset an essential first step. She emphasized that future research must analyze other patient groups to confirm these findings and develop new treatments.
