update Cancer Screening Guidance reportedly caused a surge in diagnosis among younger Americans.
Two studies by the American Cancer Society (ACS) found that there was a recent spike in colorectal cancer in people aged 45 to 49 years old.
ACS scientists discovered it after 15 years of stability Colorectal cancer (CRC) trends, in this age group, the US diagnosis of localized diseases from 2019 to 2022 has skyrocketed. This includes a 50% relative increase from 2021 to 2022.
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“That’s promising news, because the increase in cases is First screening Lead author Elizabeth Schaefer, an ACS quasi-scientist and cancer researcher, commented in a press release, Elizabeth Schaefer, the lead author Elizabeth Schaefer.
In 2018, ACS reduced the recommended age for CRC screening from 50 to 45. The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) implemented the same guidance in 2021.
The researchers analyzed it in the first study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). CRC diagnosis From 2004 to 2022, adults aged 20-54 were sorted by age, location and stage at the time of diagnosis.
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In the group ages 20-39 since 2004, the number has increased by 1.6% each year since 2004, and has increased by more than 2% per year from 2012 at ages 40-44 and 50-54.
The annual increase of 1.1% for people aged 45-49 accelerated to 12% annually from 2019 to 2022.
ACS confirmed that detection of localized stage tumors promoted the increase. This increased by nearly 19% each year in colon cancer and over 25% in rectal cancer over that time frame.
Prior to this period, colon cancer detection rates were stable and rectal cancer detection rates were declining.
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Additionally, advanced stage disease continues to rise sharply, with ACS reportedly increasing from 1.7% to 2.9% per year among adults under the age of 45 since 2004, and “even more rapidly” increase at ages 45 to 54 over the past decade.
These findings led to another ACS study published in Jama, which also found CRC screenings in US adults between 45 and 49 increased by 62% between 2019 and 2023.
Scientists analyzed data from over 50,000 individuals to compare changes in screening. They found that CRC screening, which was 20% in 2021, jumped to 37% in 2023.
Among ages 45 to 49, colonoscopy screening increased by 43%, while stool-based testing increased five times from 2019 to 2023.
Jessica Starr, an ACS scientist in Atlanta, thinks it’s “thrilling” to see this increase in screening for young people, as it’s likely linked to early stage diagnosis.
“But we still have a long way to go,” she said in the release. “Screening for colorectal cancer ages 45-49 is not optimal, but has not increased equally in both educational achievement and insurance situations.”
MD Paul E. Oberstein, medical oncologist and assistant director at the Pancreatic Cancer Center at NYU Langone Perlmutter Cancer Center, said the increase in screenings “successfully detects more cancers in the early stages where there is a very high possibility of treatment.”
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“This should ultimately mean fewer people are diagnosed later in life and fewer people suffer from advanced colon cancer,” Oberstein, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital.
“This study reinforces the need to focus on research on increasing causes of colon cancer and understanding possible steps to reduce these cases.”
He noted that the proportion of colon cancer in patients under the age of 45 remains “significantly low.” “It is not yet clear whether universal screening at younger ages would be beneficial,” he said.
Some certain patients under the age of 45 may benefit from previous screening. Family history Or personal risk factors, the oncologist added.
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As colorectal cancer continues to increase in younger people, Oberstein recommends contacting a doctor if you notice symptoms.
Dr. Craig Eagle, chief medical officer at Guardant Health in California, added that early detection is “important.” This notes that the five-year survival rate of CRC is above 90% when the disease is caught in the early stages.
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“[This] When symptoms usually appear, they are silent in 13% at the later stage,” Eagle, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital.
“The rise in diagnosis among people in their 40s is an incredible reminder that screening must be easier and more accessible to reach 50 million Americans who remain unscreened.”
