Colon cancer screening kits available for free

The researchers’ analysis of this data revealed a trend that was quite positive: Colorectal cancer incidence rates dropped 32 percent between 2000 and 2013 among people aged 50 and older.

The result: Someone born in 1990 has double the risk of early colon cancer and quadruple the risk of early rectal cancer as someone born in 1950, Siegel and her colleagues reported. While the reasons for the increase have yet to be confirmed, factors thought to play a role include increasing rates of excess body weight, as well as changes in lifestyle patterns that precipitated the obesity epidemic, like unhealthy dietary patterns and a sedentary lifestyle.

The disturbing new picture of colon cancer casts a shadow on what seemed hopeful progress. For adults between 30 and 39, there was a similar rise from 1980 to 2013.

“We don’t want to be putting fear into people, telling them they have a high cancer risk if they’re in the 20s or 30s”, Siegel said. The goal of “80% by 2018” is to have 80 percent of adults aged 50 and older being screened for colorectal cancer by 2018. For all adults under 50, the rate of colorectal cancer in 2013 was just over seven cases per 100,000 people. A new study, released Tuesday, shows a staggering rise in colorectal cancer among Millennials and Generation Xers. Although the cancer is predicted to cause over 50,000 deaths in the U.S.in 2017, that number has been trending downward for decades thanks in part to routine screenings and an increased awareness.

A study led by Rebecca Siegel of the American Cancer Society, based in Atlanta, Georgia, looked at almost half a million cases of colon and rectal cancer in USA populations between 1974 and 2013. And “anything more than about 1% a year is a big change”, says Siegel.

Early detection of colorectal cancer, the third most common cancer in the United States, is critical to improving treatment outcomes.

“The most important question is do we need to screen sooner”, Berlin said.

For starters, yes, early-onset CRC is more strongly influenced by genetics than late-onset disease, but the majority of these cases are sporadic. “You know the patient who has rectal bleeding who’s in their 20’s”.

However, the increase in colorectal cancer risks should not make younger people feel overly fearful, Berlin said, noting that there are key symptoms that could signal something is wrong and lead a person to talk to their doctor.

The Colon Cancer Alliance was founded in 1999 by a group of 41 survivors, caregivers and friends who saw the need to educate the public about colon cancer and provide support to those affected by the disease. “We recommend screening over the age of 50 or if you have a family history”. In adults 20 to 29, rates of rectal cancer rose about 3% per year between 1973 and 2013. But what about someone like Kevin Hayes who spoke to 2 on Your Side just a year ago as a local participant in the “UNDY Run” benefit for colon cancer awareness and research.