Prince Edward Island is lowering its colorectal cancer screening age to 45 after several national health groups said the disease is increasingly impacting younger people.
Premier Rob Lantz announced P.E.I is the first province in Canada to lower the age of the routine test and it will take effect immediately.
“Waiting until 50 is no longer an option,” Lantz said at a news conference Monday.
Colorectal Cancer Canada and the Canadian Cancer Society recently called on all provinces to make the move as a growing number of people are diagnosed with colorectal cancer before the current routine screening age of 50.
They said people under 50 are two- to two-and-a-half times more likely to be diagnosed with colorectal cancer than they were in previous generations….