Colorectal screening among 45- to 49-year -olds has increased threefold since 2021, according to an Oct. 3 study published in JAMA Network Open.
In 2021, an advisory panel lowered the recommended age for when people should begin colon cancer screenings from 50 to 45. On average, the researchers found colorectal screening rates among people ages 45 to 49 increased from around 0.5% before the 2021 guidelines to 1.5% a year and a half after the change. Though 1% seems small, researchers noted that it could encompass hundreds of thousands of people, according to the study.
Becker's spoke with three gastroenterology practitioners to determine whether physicians are truly seeing a growing number of young colonoscopy patients.
Lauren Bleich, MD. Gastroenterologist at Gastro Health (Miami): Unfortunately, our GI community has been seeing younger patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer or advanced adenomas. Many of these patients are younger than 45, the recommended age for screening colonoscopy. As a result, we are also encountering younger patients requesting colonoscopies for evaluation of their symptoms (rectal bleeding, abdominal pain, change in bowel habits). It is important that patients seek medical care when they experience symptoms.
Omar Khokhar, MD. Gastroenterologist at Illinois GastroHealth (Bloomington): Yes, absolutely. Patients are more proactive about their health. In addition, folks in their 30s and 40s now have 30-plus years of their parents and grandparents getting colonoscopies, so there's more awareness around family history of cancer and/or polyps.
Benjamin Levy III, MD. Gastroenterologist at University of Chicago Medicine: Large numbers of patients between the ages of 45 and49 are coming in for their screening colonoscopies since the colorectal cancer screening guidelines recently changed. Our health education campaigns have successfully encouraged many younger patients to take control of their health, to get screened and to have gastroenterologists remove polyps before they can turn into colorectal cancer. The significant increase in younger patients wanting colonoscopies is a direct result of the changing guidelines, but patients have been motivated by celebrities such as Chadwick Boseman and hearing about friends or family members who developed early onset colorectal cancer. Screening campaigns such as Tune It Up: A Concert To Raise Colorectal Cancer Awareness, organized by the American College of Gastroenterology, are reaching diverse patient populations nationally and encouraging patients between the ages of 45 and 49 to get screened. Younger patients have been inspired by celebrity role models such as Ryan Reynolds, who recently shared a video of himself getting a colonoscopy that was documented in partnership with the Colorectal Cancer Alliance's Lead From Behind campaign. It's important to keep producing innovative multimedia and social media health education campaigns that will reach younger patients in empowering ways and further improve screening rates.