When Should You Get a Colon Cancer Screening?
When should you get a colon cancer screening? The latest recommendation may surprise you!
For many years, age 50 was the golden number for adults in need of colon cancer screenings.
However, the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force recently changed this minimum age to schedule these procedures to age 45.
Reducing Risks
The main purpose of this age change is to encourage more screenings for early detection.
By seeing more patients, many medical professionals are hoping to reduce fatal outcomes for patients who may have waited to schedule their screenings.
Two Tests
There are two tests to screen for colorectal cancer that are currently recommended.
1.Direct visualization tests
2.Stool tests
What are the Symptoms of Colorectal Cancer?
Some of the most common symptoms of colorectal cancer include the following
Changes in a patient’s bowel movements
Rectal bleeding
Stomach pain
The Statistics
While deaths from colon and rectal cancers have declined over the years, there has been a noticeable tick in deaths among young patients.
In fact, the American Cancer Society believes that in 2020 alone, colon and rectal cancer is anticipated to have caused around 3,640 deaths for men and women under the age of 50.
Chadwick Boseman
The recent unexpected death of actor Chadwick Boseman has provided an impetus for more patients to think about their colon health.
The medical community hopes that this unfortunate death along with the lowering in screening age might encourage a greater number of young patients to schedule their examinations.
More on When Should You Get a Colon Cancer Screening
At Bowie Internal Medicine we offer colon cancer screening for our community of patients.
To learn more about the services we offer at Bowie Internal Medicine, visit our website today.
If you would like to schedule your colon and rectal cancer screening appointment with a member of our team, please contact us at (301) 262 – 8188.