Ontario will lower the age for colorectal cancer screening to 45 from 50 due to a sustained rise in cases among younger adults, according to Cancer Care Ontario.
The lower recommended age for average-risk colorectal cancer screening will take effect July 1 as part of updates to the province’s Colon Cancer Check program, the provincial agency responsible for cancer screening guidance said on its website on May 5.
Advocacy group Colorectal Cancer Resource & Action Network (CCRAN) welcomed the decision in a social media post, saying that form of cancer is highly treatable in its early stages.
“This is exactly why CCRAN has been advocating for this change since 2020. Ontario joins Prince Edward Island as the second province to make screening at 45 a reality,” the organization said, adding that other provinces and territories should adopt similar measures….