"Colon Cancer Screening Should Start At 45, Cancer Society Says" - Maggie Fox
People should start getting screened for colon cancer at age 45 instead of at age 50, according to the American Cancer Society. The group lowered its guidelines after research clearly showed people are getting colon cancer at younger and younger ages in the United States. It’s not clear why, but the trend is so clear that the group wants people to start checking sooner. Colorectal cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in Americans. After consulting with experts on just how early to recommend regular screening, the ACS settle on age 45 for people at average risk, which is most Americans. Any younger might mean a lot of testing with little benefit, said David Labow, MD, professor of surgery and chief of the surgical oncology division at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. “The problem is, you’ll be doing a lot of tests that are unnecessary,” said Dr. Labow, who was not involved in drawing up the new recommendations. “We have to balance the risk and benefit.” Dr. Labow said most patients will follow the recommendations of their doctors, so it’s important for the ACS to get the word out to medical professionals.
- Daniel M. Labow, MD, Professor, Surgery, Chief, Surgical Oncology, Hepatobiliary Surgery, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Site Chair, Department of Surgery, Mount Sinai St. Luke’s, Mount Sinai West
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