Colon Cancer Screening Should Start Earlier, at Age 45, U.S. Panel Says - The New York Times

The draft recommendation acknowledges a trend of higher rates of colon and rectal cancer in generations born since 1950.

task force recommended on Tuesday, in a move that reflected the sharp rise in the number of colon and rectal cancers in young adults.

Many early-onset cancers are diagnosed in people as young as their 20s and 30s who will not be covered by the draft recommendation.

Doctors who treat cancer patients praised the recommendation as well, saying it would draw attention to concerns about early-onset colon and rectal cancer, and encourage both primary care physicians and young adults to heed warning signs like rectal bleeding and changes in bowel movements.

Some critics, however, said the draft recommendation was long overdue, and has lagged far behind data showing an uptick in colorectal cancers in younger adults.

The American Cancer Society in 2018 recommended starting routine screening at 45, after its own researchers reported a sharp rise in the disease among adults as young as their 20s and 30s, including a particularly sharp rise in rectal cancers.

Kim Newcomer, 47, who manages the Never Too Young program for the alliance, said she learned she had advanced rectal cancer at 35, but had to fight to get a colonoscopy, and was told by a doctor at one point that she had “female hysteria.” She said the recommendation is “a step forward in the right direction, but there is always more to do.”.

The recommendation by the task force, an independent group of experts appointed by the Department of Health and Human Services, is a draft proposal.

Though people often think of a colonoscopy when they think of colon cancer screening, the task force has recommended the choice of direct visualization tests such as colonoscopies as well as tests that can identify signs of cancer based on stool samples

The recommendation for stepped up screenings is an anomaly for the task force, which rolled back screenings for some women’s reproductive cancers over a decade ago