Could Lack of Colorectal Screenings be to Blame for the Spike in Cancer Rates Under 50?

Colorectal cancer may be most prevalent among people over the age of 50, but that doesn’t mean younger people are immune to it. In the late 90s, Katie Couric and husband Jay Monahan learned he had colon cancer. He died nine months later at the age of 42. Since then, Couric has been a dedicated advocate for colon cancer screenings. If you’re over 50, there’s a good chance your doctor has already talked to you about colonoscopies and the importance of screening for colorectal cancer.

Are You Proactive with Screenings for Colorectal Cancer?

March is colorectal cancer month, and each year at this time I am reminded it took the life of my brother at the age of 65. What is even more intriguing is for years prior to his death, he was told by doctors to get a colonoscopy but he never did. I do not think he really appreciated the importance of getting a colonoscopy until after he was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. Like many of us, he did not take the time to focus on preventive health care because he had no apparent symptoms. There appears to be a human tendency to generally wait until we are sick or have symptoms before we focus on our health.

Be proactive with screenings for colorectal cancer

If you are middle aged, there’s a good chance your doctor has mentioned the C word to you -- colonoscopy. Why? Because of that other C word -- cancer. Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States, according to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). In 2016, an estimated 134,000 people will be diagnosed with the disease, and about 49,000 will die from it.