There's been a steep increase in colon cancer cases among adults 45 to 49 in recent years, and that's a good thing, experts say.
This upsurge means that more colon cancers are being caught at an earlier, more treatable stage, thanks to a decision to lower the screening age from 50 to 45, researchers argue in a pair of new studies from the American Cancer Society.
"It is promising news because the uptick of cases is likely due to first-time screening in the wake of new recommendations for younger average-risk adults to begin testing for colorectal cancer earlier," researcher Elizabeth Schaefer, an associate scientist of surveillance and health equity science with the ACS, said in a news release.
The ACS lowered its recommended age to begin colon cancer screening from 50 to 45 in 2018, and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force followed suit in 2021, researchers said in background notes.
To see whether this made a difference, researchers analyzed surveillance data on colon cancer kept by the National Cancer Institute.
