Colon cancer screening: Recognizing an alarming increase in colorectal cancer cases among individuals under age 50. An expert panel now recommends that those at average risk for the disease start screening exams at 45 years old. This advice contrasts with the historical recommendation of beginning at age 50.
This relatively recent rise in colon cancer among young folks remains puzzling. The incidence of the disease has dropped among older adults. This improvement may be secondary to regular colon cancer screening and lower rates of cigarette smoking.
Fortunately, colon cancer remains uncommon, affecting less than one percent of younger adults. Still, nearly 18,000 individuals under age 50 years will receive a colon or rectal cancer diagnosis this year in the United States, according to Rebecca Siegel, MPH of the American Cancer Society.
The rise in the number of young people getting colon or rectal cancer is not limited to the USA. We see similar trends in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and some parts of Asia and Europe. For most geographies, the rise in cases began around 1995.
I have written about this topic before, but the recent diagnosis of a patient in his late 30s rattled me a bit. “Robert” noticed blood in his stools. As it only occurred intermittently, he delayed presenting to his doctor. He offers that given he did not have significant pain, he held off on seeking medical attention.
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