Colorectal Cancer: Start Screening at 45 to Help Reduce Deaths
According to the American Cancer Society, colorectal cancer is the third-most fatal form of cancer for both men and women in the United States.[0] With the shift in the colorectal cancer landscape, the United States Preventive Services Task Force has updated its colorectal cancer screening recommendations to begin at age 45 instead of 50. The American Cancer Society and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommend people start regular colon cancer screening at age 45, with a colonoscopy or other strategies.
A recent study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed a concerning increase in the number of young people with colon cancer. Researchers cannot say for sure why this age shift is happening, but it is a worrying phenomenon.
Early detection and prevention is key to preventing or detecting colorectal cancer at its most treatable stage. The frequency of screening is contingent upon the type of screening selected.[1] Consult your primary care provider to decide what is most suitable for you.[1] Regular screenings beginning at age 45 are the best way to tackle this disease, and the American Cancer Society and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommend people start regular colon cancer screening at this age.
Groundbreaking treatments have also been developed to give new hope to colon cancer patients, as well as treatments for Stage 4 colon cancer.[2] It is important to talk to your doctor about your options, and priority should be given to annual screenings.[2] With early detection and prevention, we can reduce the number of deaths caused by colorectal cancer.
0. “Woman diagnosed with colon cancer at 24 thought her symptoms were IBS” Yahoo Entertainment, 15 Mar. 2023, https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/woman-diagnosed-colon-cancer-24-162503920.html
1. “Early detection catches colorectal cancer for Essentia Health patient” Essentia Health, 9 Mar. 2023, https://www.essentiahealth.org/about/essentia-health-newsroom/early-detection-catches-colorectal-cancer/
2. “For First-Time Mom, 29, Cramping and Constipation Dismissed By Doctors as Pregnancy Symptoms. It Was Colon Cancer.” SurvivorNet, 15 Mar. 2023, https://www.survivornet.com/articles/womans-cramping-and-bloody-stools-dismissed-as-pregnancy-symptoms-it-was-colon-cancer-urging-other-moms-to-trust-their-guts/
