Updated May 19th, 2021

All Americans Should Begin Colorectal Cancer Screening at Age 45, According to New Guidelines; Previous Age Was 50

As colorectal cancer cases are rising amongst younger people, The United States Preventive Services Task Force has recommended screenings begin at 45 as opposed to 50.

SurvivorNet Staff

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New Colorectal Cancer Screening Guidelines

The United States Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF) released official recommendations that the colorectal cancer screening age be dropped to 45; previous recommended age was 50.
Over the years, cases of colorectal cancer among younger people have increased. This has spurred many experts to reconsider recommended screening age.
Colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. An expert tells SurvivorNet that reducing screening age could potentially save lives of 15 million more eligible Americans.

All Americans should begin screening for colorectal cancer at age 45, according to new recommendations released by the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) on Tuesday.

The USPSTF previously recommended screening begin at age 50. However, there’s been a rising number of colorectal cases among younger people which spurred the task force to consider lowering the recommended screening age. This may lead to more diagnoses being caught early and lead to more successful treatments.

“These guidelines now match up with recommendations from the American Cancer Society from a few years ago,” Dr. Heather Yeo, a colorectal surgeon at Weill-Cornell Medical Center, tells SurvivorNet. “We know that colon cancers can be prevented with screening and the rising incidence in young adults has been concerning. This younger age group is the only age group that has been increasing over the past decade.”

Colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. Despite strong evidence that screening for colorectal cancer is effective, about a quarter of people ages 50 to 75 have never been screened, according to the USPSTF.

By lowering this recommended age, experts hope that this will encourage more people (no matter how old) to be vigilant about signs of colorectal cancer and get screened if they sense something might be wrong. It’s well known that the earlier a cancer is detected, the better outcomes when it comes to treatment.

“The fact that we have now reduced the screening age to 45 is a huge step,” Michael Sapienza, CEO of Colorectal Cancer Alliance, tells SurvivorNet. “It will allow us to potentially screen 15 million more eligible Americans a year and will certainly save lives. I also think what it’ll do is bring much needed attention that even if you’re younger than 45 you should be paying more attention. I think that’s also a really important message.”

Dr. Heather Yeo explains why colon cancer screening is critical

Learning About Colon Cancer

Symptoms of colon cancer, according to the American Cancer Society, include:

A change in bowel habits, such as diarrhea, constipation, or narrowing of the stool, that lasts for more than a few days
A feeling that you need to have a bowel movement that is not relieved by having one
Rectal bleeding with bright red blood
Blood in the stool, which might make it look dark brown or black
Cramping or abdominal pain
Weakness and fatigue
Losing weight without trying

Since all of these issues can also be common symptoms for other illnesses, and sometimes aren't always a cause for concern, it is generally best to see a doctor to be on the safe side.

In a previous interview with SurvivorNet, Dr. Yeo discussed the top three myths associated with colon cancer and getting screened.

Myth #1: Colonoscopies are the only way to detect colon cancer.

The verdict: Not true. Though colonoscopies are the best way, there are a lot of other methods like fecal occult blood tests (which look at a sample of your stool) and fecal immunochemical tests (FIT). "The [tests] have different roles and you should talk to a medical provider about what's best for you, but there are a lot of options," Dr. Yeo says.

Myth #2: Only people with a family history can get colon cancer.

The verdict: Not true. "In fact, the majority of people who get colon cancer have no family history," Dr. Yeo says. "The reason I do the specialty is because if we screen patients early, cancers can be prevented. We can have really good survival outcomes and so I tell that to a lot of my patients. It's important to have a positive outlook for that."

Myth #3: Only people with symptoms need to screen.

The verdict: Absolutely not true. "The guidelines have recently changed because colon cancer has increased in people under the age of 50 â€¦ The American Cancer Society has recently recommended that we start screening at the age of 45," Dr. Yeo says. And that means everybody.

Dr. Heather Yeo busts some myths about colon cancer screening

Unlike other types of cancers such as breast cancer, colorectal cancer isn’t as well-known to many Americans. That’s why raising awareness about symptoms and screenings is imperative for the future, and could save lives

“We need to get the word out more,” Sapienza says. “I just saw a plane the other day which had the breast cancer logo all over the side of it. When was the last time you saw a colon cancer logo? People don’t even know what that is. So how do we get more people talking about it? I think that will help drive the funnel of awareness and screening.”

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

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