AACR to Host Conference on the Rise in Early-onset Cancers, December 10-13

Experts will discuss potential causes of the recent increase in cancer cases among young adults

MONTREAL – The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) will host the AACR Special Conference: The Rise of Early-onset Cancers—Knowledge Gaps and Research Opportunities from December 10-13 in Montreal.

While advances in cancer prevention, early detection, and treatment have led to a 33% reduction in the U.S. cancer mortality rate over the past three decades, there has been an alarming increase in the number of younger individuals developing—and dying from—cancer. 

This timely AACR conference will explore possible causes of the increase in these early-onset cancers, including risk factors, early life exposures, detection, and other potentially modifiable factors; current research on the mechanisms of early-onset cancers; and opportunities and challenges in the translation of scientific observations to effective interventions.

View the full conference program and read an interview with the conference cochairs.

PRESENTATIONS OF INTEREST

To help reporters plan coverage of this conference, the organizers have identified the following noteworthy abstracts that may be of interest to the media.

The following abstracts are embargoed until 1 p.m. ET on Wednesday, December 10, 2025.

Contact Julia Gunther at [email protected] to schedule interviews with the presenters.

Neighborhood fast food, alcohol, and fruit/vegetable expenditure; and early-onset colorectal cancer: A statewide spatio-ecological analysis in Alabama (Abstract)

• Presenter: R. Blake Buchalter, PhD, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
• Summary: Researchers examined how food consumption patterns influenced the incidence of early-onset cancers between 2010 and 2019 in Alabama. They found that every 1% increase in spending on fast food was associated with a 14.25% increase in the incidence of all early-onset cancers, including a 5.23% increase in late-stage early-onset cancers. In contrast, every 1% increase in spending on fruits and vegetables was associated with a 17.72% decreased incidence of all early-onset cancers, including a 33.77% decreased incidence for late-stage disease.

Equity and the age cutoff problem: Rethinking early detection and screening in Nigeria (Abstract)

• Presenter: Deloraine A. Dennis, MPH, National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment, Abuja, Nigeria
• Summary: Cancer registry data from Ibadan, Abuja, and Calabar states showed that a greater proportion of breast, prostate, and colorectal cancers in Nigeria are diagnosed before age 50 compared with high-income countries, and therefore, screening recommendations developed for high-income countries may not be applicable to the Nigerian population.

Exploring the exposome impact in early-onset colon and rectal cancer using methylation scores (Abstract)

• Presenter: Silvana C.E. Maas, PhD, Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology, Barcelona, Spain
• Summary: Using methylation scores as proxies for environmental exposures and lifestyle factors, researchers identified the pesticide picloram as a novel potential risk factor for early-onset colorectal cancer. Further, they found that county-level early-onset colorectal cancer incidence was significantly associated with the use of picloram, even after adjusting for sociodemographic factors and exposure to other pesticides.

Disparate response to chemoradiation in early onset vs late onset rectal cancer (Abstract)

• Presenter: Joshua E. Meyer, MD, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA
• Summary: Neoadjuvant chemoradiation may be less effective against early-onset rectal cancers, as this retrospective analysis found that patients with stage 2-3 rectal cancer who were under age 40 were significantly less likely than their older counterparts to experience tumor downstaging after treatment. Patients with early-onset rectal cancer were also more likely to present with advanced lymph node staging and higher-grade tumors at baseline.

Incidence of early onset colorectal, kidney, uterine and pancreatic cancer by county-level obesity prevalence in the U.S., 2010-2022 (Abstract)

• Presenter: Meredith Shiels, PhD, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD
• Summary: The age-standardized rates of cancers associated with obesity—colorectal, kidney, uterine, and pancreatic—rose significantly from 2010 to 2022 among U.S. adults aged 20-49. Between 2018 and 2022, the age-standardized rates of these cancers were significantly higher in counties with the highest obesity prevalence compared to those with the lowest obesity prevalence.

View the titles of all abstracts to be presented at the conference. Full abstracts will be available as an online supplement in the AACR journal Clinical Cancer Research on December 10, 2025, at 1 p.m. ET.

EXPERT INTERVIEWS

The conference cochairs are:

• Andrea Cercek, MD, section head of colorectal cancer and codirector of the Center for Young Onset Colorectal and Gastrointestinal Cancer at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center 
• Elizabeth M. Jaffee, MD, FAACR, AACR Past President and deputy director of the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
• Timothy R. Rebbeck, PhD, FAACR, professor of cancer prevention at Harvard University and professor of medical oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

These esteemed researchers are available to discuss the topic of early-onset cancer generally as well as the highlights and themes of the conference. To schedule interviews with conference cochairs, contact Julia Gunther at [email protected].

MEDIA REGISTRATION

Registration is still open for this conference. This meeting will be held in person and will not be live-streamed for virtual participation. Lecture sessions will be made available for on-demand viewing approximately 7-10 business days after the meeting has concluded and will remain available until February 21, 2026.

To register, journalists must provide official press credentials and bylined coverage. Before requesting registration, please review the full press registration policy.

Journalists can request registration by filling out this form. Contact Kathleen Medora at [email protected] or Julia DeMalto at [email protected] with registration questions.