More younger adults are being screened for and diagnosed with colon cancer, according to studies published on Aug. 4.
Colon cancer cases among adults aged 45 to 49 increased 12 percent annually from 2019 through 2022, up from an increase of 1.1 percent annually from 2004 through 2019, researchers reported in one of the studies.
Smaller increases for other age ranges—1.6 percent annually for adults aged 20 to 39 since 2004, 2 percent annually for adults aged 40 to 44 since 2012, and 2.6 percent for adults aged 50 to 54 since 2012—were also recorded.
Elizabeth Schafer, with the American Cancer Society’s Surveillance and Health Equity Science Department, and co-authors with the society said the sharper jump among adults aged 45 to 49 “likely reflects diagnosis of prevalent asymptomatic cancer through first-time screening due to recommendations for adults to begin screening at age 45 years instead of 50 years.”…