This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Experts Call for Awareness of CRC in Younger Patients
Though patients younger than 50 years currently make up less than 20% of colorectal cancer cases and the traditional view of a patient with colorectal cancer consists of a middle-aged patient usually screened with a traditional colonoscopy, that landscape is changing.
SEER data predict a 90% increase in colon cancer by 2030 and a 124% increase in rectosigmoid and rectal cancers in Americans aged 20 to 34 years. Healio Gastroenterology spoke to gastroenterologists and oncologists about the anticipated increase, what it means for physicians and how it should be handled.
“We are not only seeing more cancers in young people but we’re seeing them at a more advanced stage — and that is probably because we do not screen them,” George J. Chang, MD, MS, professor in the departments of surgical oncology and health services research and chief of colon and rectal surgery at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, told Healio Gastroenterology. “Young patients also are diagnosed later because colorectal cancer is not on the forefront of their minds. If they see blood in their stool, for example, they are not thinking they should get a colonoscopy. Even their providers may not be thinking colon cancer. It takes longer to get the work-up needed and to make the diagnosis.”
Chang and others discussed this younger cohort’s genetic variations, the pros and cons of screening them and overtreatment of these patients.
See additional information on the Drug/Device Pipeline in gastroenterology and let us know what you would like to see in the future. We continue to welcome your feedback on our peer-tested content, which is invaluable to us in our mission to deliver the most important and clinically relevant information to the gastroenterology community.
The Editors Healio Gastroenterologygastroenterology@healio.com