(ABC 6 News) – The American Cancer Society predicts 38,000 new cancer diagnoses will happen in the state of Minnesota this year, contributing to an expected record of 2 million nationally.

But Dr. Steve Ansell with Mayo Clinic says there’s more behind the numbers.

“So, all though the number is going up it isn’t going up quite as dramatically as some people might have suggested, purely because the population in general is growing,” said Ansell.

The report says there is one very concerning rise and that’s cancer in younger Americas, especially in colorectal cancer. Ansell says they are seeing similar numbers at Mayo Clinic, but the cause isn’t entirely clear.

“It might be that younger patients don’t think they are at risk to the same degree older. They may not get the same degree of screening. There have been some suggestions that diets and how we eat has changed over time,” said Ansell.

Over 10,000 people in Minnesota and 612,000 nationally are expected to die from cancer this year.

But cancer deaths, overall, are down one third over the last 30 years.

Ansell says understanding the disease is key to treating it.

“Being able to understand the biology of cancer allows us to vulnerabilities and ways we can treat people more effectively. so that’s really where research comes in,” said Dr. Ansell.

Experts say one of the best things you can do is get screened early. They are actually encouraging people to get screen for colorectal cancer 45 years old rather than the tradition 50 years old.