New biomechanical evidence suggests that increased stiffness of the colon—driven by chronic inflammation and tissue scarring—may play a central role in the development and progression of early-onset colorectal cancer (EOCRC), offering a potential explanation for the alarming rise in cases among patients under 50.
The study, co-led by UT Southwestern Medical Center and UT Dallas researchers and published in Advanced Science, is the first to systematically link biomechanical forces in the colon to EOCRC pathogenesis.
While incidence and mortality from average-onset colorectal cancer have steadily declined over the past three decades, EOCRC has risen sharply and now accounts for approximately 12% of all CRC diagnoses in the U.S. since 2020. Despite extensive investigation into lifestyle and environmental risk factors, the biological mechanism connecting chronic inflammation to early tumor development has remained poorly understood.