45 is the new guidance for Americans to get colon cancer screening
The new guidelines now say adults at average risk of the disease should get screened from ages 45 to 75. How often depends on what type of testing they choose. Author: Associated Press Updated: 12:41 PM EDT May 18, 2021
WASHINGTON Americans should start getting screened for colon cancer earlier at age 45 instead of waiting until they’re 50, according to guidelines released Tuesday.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force said it s time for the change because colorectal cancer increasingly is appearing in younger adults.
Colorectal cancer is one of the nation’s leading cancer killers, claiming about 50,000 lives a year. Overall, cases and deaths have inched down in recent years, thanks in part to screening tests that can spot tumors early or even prevent them by removing precancerous growths.
Colorectal cancer checks should continue to be done on a case-by-case basis for adults ages 76-85 years old, the task force said. Doctors should selectively offer screenings for adults in this age group based upon the patient s overall health, prior screening history and screening preferences. Researchers found that colorectal cancer screenings have a small net benefit for people in this age demographic who have already been screened.
All colorectal cancer screenings should be stopped for adults ages 86 and older, the volunteer medical panel said.
The task force s updated guidance applies to all adults, including those who have no symptoms and no personal history of colorectal polyps or a personal or family health history of genetic disorders that increase the risk of colorectal cancer.
Vanassa Sebastian woke up one morning in July with excruciating pain in her stomach.
As a certified registered nurse anesthetist, she sent her husband to the pharmacy to get medication for what she thought was constipation or bad gas. But by the time breakfast rolled around, the Connecticut mom was curled up on the couch crying from the pain.
Her daughter convinced her to go to the emergency room, where
after numerous tests, doctors found she was bleeding from a tumor inside her colon. At 49 years old, Sebastian was diagnosed with colon cancer.
She was shocked.
“I’m healthy, I’m young, I’m in really great shape, I eat healthy, I don’t have any risk factors,” she said. “I never thought, ‘They’re going to diagnose me with Stage 3 colon cancer’… It was never on my radar.”
By Bill Galluccio
May 18, 2021
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has lowered the recommended age for people to begin getting screened for colorectal cancer. The task force says that asymptomatic people who do not have a history of colon or rectal polyps or a family history of colorectal cancer should get screened when they turn 45.
The task force cited an alarming rise in cases of colorectal cancer in people under the age of 50. The number of cases in adults between the ages of 40 and 49 increased by almost 15% from 2000-2002 to 2014-2016. It s a major area of concern, and investigation theories abound, Dr.
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