People Under 40 Need Colorectal Cancer Screening Too
Rectal cancer frequency appears to be rising in those under the age of 40, according to a new study. Researchers gathered information from a cancer database dating back to 1975. They note that around 1984, rectal cancer cases began to increase for younger people. Although the risk is still relatively low compared to other cancers, the findings are still alarming.
The information gathered does not point to any specific cause in the rising number of cases. Dr. Douglas Rex who was not affiliated with the study, backs up the findings. He studies colorectal cancers at the Indiana University School of Medicine and states, he has noticed this trend as well.
Researchers note that from 1984 through 2005, the rate of rectal cancer increased by 4 percent each year in people under the age of 40. The survival rate for rectal cancer is grim, about 50 to 60 percent of those diagnosed live beyond five years. Doctors believe the increasing death rate among the younger crowd has a lot to do with the cancer being caught later than those over the age of 50. Current guidelines recommend regular colorectal cancer screening to begin after the age of 45.
The study has been published in the journal Cancer. 
I am looking forward to a stool DNA test from a company named Exact Sciences to get FDA approval shortly and make colorectal cancer screening much easier, cheaper, accurate, and as a result, widespread.