With 10% of new colorectal cancer patients under the age of 50, this disease is on the rise in younger patients. While incidence rates of colon cancer are dropping in older adults due to successful screening practices, they are increasing at a rate of two percent per year for those younger than 50.

Though it is the second-most common form of cancer death, when colorectal cancer is caught early through screenings, it can be much easier to treat. That’s why the screening age of 50 that people are so familiar with has now been decreased to age 45.

Knowing Family History Is Key

When a patient has no symptoms of colorectal cancer, making a plan for screening starts with understanding family history. Being able to share a family history of polyps or colorectal cancer with your physician allows them to classify your risk and provide recommendations on when to begin routine screening. 

For colorectal cancer, family history is heavily weighted and can necessitate a screening exam to be performed a decade or more before the general population.

Sharing a known family history begins with a primary care physician (PCP) who can then make recommendations for screenings for a variety of conditions. Relationships with a PCP are years-long, in many cases even decades or generational. They can not only recommend screening plans but also call on specialists when needed. 

Most Insurance Coverage Has Caught Up

Changing the colorectal cancer screening age to 45 for those at average risk was a recommendation initially made by the American Cancer Society several years ago. Draft recommendations came out from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, which were adopted in May 2021. For the most part, insurance companies will cover colonoscopy screening starting at 45. For those who are considered high-risk for colorectal cancer through factors like family history, recommendations and insurance coverage can still happen even earlier. 

Despite colorectal cancer being the third-most commonly diagnosed form of cancer in the United States, patients still find a myriad of reasons to put off their screening. While it’s true that the cancer growth cycle can take up to a decade as polyps develop and become cancerous, those who have never been screened have no idea where they are in that cycle.

Take those first steps by having conversations with your family to understand your medical history, then sharing that information with a primary care provider to develop a screening plan. It all starts with a discussion.