Rising Incidence of Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma from 2000 to 2021

Between 2000 and 2021, there has been a notable increase in the incidence of pancreatic adenocarcinoma across all age groups. A comprehensive study published online on April 14, 2025, in JAMA Network Open, analyzed data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database to identify trends in pancreatic and colorectal cancers in the United States. The study, led by Arvind Bussetty, M.D., from Rutgers University School of Medicine, reported identifying 275,273 cases of pancreatic adenocarcinoma during this period.

The findings revealed that the annual percentage change (APC) for pancreatic adenocarcinoma was particularly high among younger adults aged 15 to 34 years, with an increase of 4.35%, a rate significantly higher than that observed in individuals aged 55 years and older (1.74%) and those aged 35 to 54 years (1.54%). These rising trends are concerning, especially considering the traditionally higher risk associated with older populations.

In addition to pancreatic cancer trends, the study also examined colorectal adenocarcinoma, identifying 1,215,200 cases. Interestingly, while colorectal cancer incidence decreased among those aged 55 and older, with an APC of -3.31%, it increased again among younger populations, with APCs of 1.75% and 0.78% for the 15-34 and 35-54 age groups respectively.Overall, the research highlights the growing burden of pancreatic cancer and the worrying rise of colorectal cancer in younger adults.

The authors emphasize the importance of increased awareness and early detection strategies for these aggressive diseases. Two of the study’s authors disclosed affiliations with biotech and biomedical industries. These findings underscore the urgent need for further research into the causes of these trends and effective prevention methods.

Source: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-04-incidence-pancreatic-adenocarcinoma.html