Epigenetic fingerprints link early-onset colon and rectal cancer to pesticide exposure

A study published in Nature Medicine has identified epigenetic signatures linking pesticide exposure — particularly the herbicide picloram — to early-onset colorectal cancer in patients diagnosed before age 50. Researchers compared exposome traits between early-onset CRC patients and those diagnosed at age 70 or older, using epigenetic markers as molecular records of cumulative environmental exposures. The findings offer a compelling potential explanation for the alarming global rise in colorectal cancer among younger adults, a trend that has puzzled oncologists for more than a decade. If validated in larger prospective cohorts, these results could have far-reaching implications for public health pesticide regulation and for refining CRC screening strategies in populations with elevated agricultural chemical exposure.