Colorectal cancer screening should begin at age 45, not at age 50
Americans should get screened for colon cancer earlier, at age 45, rather than waiting until they’re 50.
Cases of advanced colorectal cancer (CRC) are rising and the disease is being detected more often in younger patients, according to Colorectal Cancer Statistics 2023, a new report on Cancer facts and trends by the American Cancer Society (ACS) based in Atlanta.
Although the number of CRC-related deaths continues to decline, the report highlights the worrying trend in the disease control landscape.
These include in particular the advanced stage of cancer at the time of diagnosis and the age of the patient at which it is diagnosed.
INDIANA PRIEST SAYS HE’S HEALED OF BRAIN CANCER AFTER TRIP TO LOURDES: ‘GOD THANK YOU’
The incidence of advanced CRC disease now occurs in three in five people, while one in five CRC diagnoses are in people under the age of 55, the study researchers said.
Also people who are Alaska Natives had the highest rate and mortality – nearly four times higher than that of non-Hispanic whites, according to the report.
FILE – The United In Blue installation on the National Mall to raise awareness of the need for more colorectal cancer research, treatment options and funding on March 16, 2022 in Washington, DC (Paul Morigi/Getty Images for the fight against colon cancer)
It was published Wednesday, March 1, in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians and in the Colorectal Cancer Facts & Figures 2023-2025 publication on Cancer.org.
“We know rates are increasing in young people, but it’s alarming to see how rapidly the overall patient population is getting smaller, despite shrinking numbers in the general population,” Rebecca Siegel, Senior Scientific Director, Surveillance Research at the American Cancer Society and Chief author of the report said in a press release.
COULD A URINE TEST DETECT PANCREAS AND PROSTATE CANCER? STUDY SHOWS 99% SUCCESS RATE
“The trend toward more advanced disease in people of all ages is also surprising and should motivate everyone 45 and older to get screened,” Siegel said in the release.
Researchers collected data from 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Data were available through 2019 from the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) program and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Program of Cancer Registries as provided by the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries.
Researchers collected data from 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Data were available through 2019 from the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) program and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Program of Cancer Registries as provided by the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries.
The number of CRC cases in people under the age of 55 has almost doubled from 11% in 1995 to 20% in 2019.
That’s a jump from 1 in 10 people to 1 in 5, according to the press release.
FILE – A general view of the atmosphere at One Million Strong-Colorectal Cancer Awareness at Grand Central Terminal on March 3, 2014 in New York City. (Neilson Barnard/Getty Images for the fight against colon cancer)
“We need to address why rates in young adults continue to trend in the wrong direction,” said Dr. Ahmedin Jemal, senior vice president, surveillance and health equity science at the American Cancer Society and senior author of the study, in a message.
“We need to invest more in research to uncover the causes of the increasing trends and discover new treatments for advanced-stage disease to reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with this disease in this young population, which it is raise families and to support other family members.”
Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month is observed in March to highlight the importance of screening for this form of cancer.
“Data of Very Concern”
The researchers said that an estimated 153,020 people will be diagnosed with CRC in the US and that about 52,550 people will die from the disease in 2023.
“This extremely worrying data highlights the urgent need to invest in it targeted cancer research studies dedicated to understanding and preventing early-stage colorectal cancer,” said Karen E. Knudsen, MD, CEO of the American Cancer Society, in a press release.
“The shift to diagnosing advanced diseases also underscores the importance of screening and early detection, which saves lives.”
The report revealed that CRC cases in people over 50 fell rapidly in the 2000s. This has been attributed to increased screening with colonoscopy, which experts say can help prevent cancer by removing precancerous growths, or polyps.
However, the study’s authors noted that progress has slowed over the past decade, which may be partly due to the trend of rising cases among younger individuals, the study noted.
COLONOSCOPY SCREENING BY HEIDI KLUM RAISES AWARENESS OF THE PROCESS AFTER SHE WAS ‘LATE TO THE PARTY’
The report found that the age group of 65 years and older showed a decrease in incidence rates since 2011 and that these rates stabilized in the 50-64 year old cohort.
However, a worrying trend showed an increased incidence rate of 2% per year in those under 50 years of age and in those aged 50-54.
Cancer experts said they are concerned the diagnoses made apply to more advanced stages of the disease where the cancer has spread to lymph nodes and other organs.
When it comes to preventing colon cancer, “one of the easiest tools is to tell people to get a colonoscopy when they’re young,” said Dr. Paul Oberstein, MD, medical oncologist at NYU Langone Perlmutter Cancer Center in NYCsaid Fox News Digital.
FILE – Mount Sinai Medical Center sleep study room. (Jeffrey Greenberg/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Oberstein was not involved in the study but commented on the results.
Colonoscopies would normally be recommended by age 50, he said, but in recent years that number has been changed to 45 and earlier in people at average risk if there was a family history or other risk factors.
Although colonoscopies are the main standard for diagnosing CRC, new ways of screening for this type of cancer are needed, Oberstein said, particularly based on these findings about more aggressive forms diagnosed in a younger population.
“We don’t actually know why rectal cancer is increasing in younger people,” he told Fox News Digital.
CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER
He added: “There are many hypotheses. People think it could be diet related or antibiotic related, right in contact with other foods, [such as] processed foods – or you can make a list of everything. We don’t know the answer. So the challenge is that until we know that answer, if you don’t know what we’re targeting, it’s really hard to reverse it.
In addition to having a colonoscopy, patients should be aware of the signs of CRC.
They should talk to their doctor, he said, especially if they see blood in their stools or have intestinal problems that cannot be resolved.
According to the study, CRC is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer and the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in both men and women in the United States.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
The American Cancer Society’s Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) continues to advocate for the implementation of policies in each state to help cover the cost of colonoscopies and remove barriers to colorectal cancer screening.
Read more on FOX News.