A majority of physicians (64 percent) believe colon cancer screening guidelines should be changed to lower the recommended age of these screenings to younger than 50 years, according to a new survey by SERMO, a global social network for physicians and healthcare professional polling company.
Note: The survey polled 2,211 U.S. physicians.
Here are six important findings:
• Around 56 percent think that increased incidences of obesity and diabetes are to blame for colon cancer becoming more widespread among young adults
• Forty-two percent feel regular screening for colon cancer should begin at age 40
• Twenty-five percent feel colon cancer screenings should begin at 45 years
• Another 25 percent said colon cancer screenings should begin at age 50
• Sixty-eight percent said computer tomography colonography, often called virtual colonoscopy, should be covered by Medicare and 76 percent thought that Medicare coverage would increase screening rates
• Approximately 53 percent said that they would not recommend Cologuard as a primary colorectal cancer screening test