My name is Najee Wright. I’m 26 years old and a Las Vegas native.

In January 2024, I walked into a quick care with chest pain that had lasted over six hours. I assumed I would be sent home with ibuprofen. Instead, I was admitted to the hospital after doctors discovered a 12cm mass on my heart.

At UMC, doctors believed it was a cyst and performed a draining procedure. That only made it angrier — more pain, more shortness of breath. Months later, I met Dr. Michael Ciccolo, I was told the “cyst” needed to be removed immediately.

An increasing number of people are dying of colorectal cancer at a young age, including those as young as 20. Actor James Van Der Beek, who was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2023, died at age 48 on Feb. 11, 2026, bringing the disease back into the limelight.

On Jan. 5, 2026, the Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services accepted a major revision to the standing U.S. childhood and adolescent immunization schedule. Among the changes was a reduction in the recommended human papillomavirus vaccination series from two or three doses to a single dose for all children.

On January 5, 2026, the Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services accepted a major revision to the standing U.S. childhood and adolescent immunization schedule which, among other changes, reduced the recommendation for human papillomavirus (HPV) from a two or three dose series to a single dose for all children.

New data was recently published in the CDC's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, a phone survey of Americans covering a variety of health topics. The new data, from the 2024 survey year, shows Nevada has rebounded slightly in cancer screenings from a dip following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Colorectal cancer is the #2 cancer killer in Nevada by total numbers, only behind lung cancer. The latest American Cancer Society data shows that colorectal cancer is now the leading cause of cancer deaths among men under 50, and second for women under 50.

Nevada's Central Cancer Registry keeps data on cancer cases across the state and has provided data that we've formatted into charts to help you quickly digest the information.

Access the data and download our annual Quick Facts and Resources on the buttons below.