New Recommendations For Colon Cancer Screenings

Colon cancer has been considered a disease that typically affects older adults. But that’s changing. Cases of colorectal cancers have increased dramatically among younger adults over the past four decades, according to researchers from the American Cancer Society. If you were born in 1960, you’re twice as likely to develop early colon cancer and four times as likely to develop early rectal cancer as someone who was born in 1950. Accordingly, the American Cancer Society recently recommended that people start getting screened for colorectal cancers at age 45 instead of age 50. We talk to a doctor about the new recommendations and what younger adults can do to reduce their risk of developing colorectal cancers.