The recent passing of actor James Van Der Beek at age 48 has brought renewed urgency to the conversation surrounding colorectal cancer. While overall cancer deaths in people under 50 have declined since the 1990s, colorectal cancer has bucked this trend, becoming the leading cause of cancer death for this age group.
National health organizations now recommend that individuals with an average risk begin regular screenings at age 45. This age was lowered from 50 in 2021 due to a sharp rise in diagnoses among adults in their 20s, 30s, and 40s. Standard options include a colonoscopy every 10 years or various stool-based tests every one to three years.
The risk of developing this cancer more than doubles between the ages of 40 and 49. Because this disease often starts as slow-growing polyps, early detection through screening can identify and remove these growths before they become malignant. However, medical experts note that only about 20% of eligible adults aged 45–49 are currently up to date with their screenings.
While a colonoscopy remains the gold standard for detecting precancerous polyps, non-invasive alternatives like Cologuard (at-home stool test) and Shield (blood test) are available. These tests are effective at detecting existing cancer but are less reliable at spotting precancerous polyps compared to a traditional colonoscopy. Experts emphasize that if any at-home test returns a positive result, a follow-up colonoscopy is mandatory.
This blog post is for educational and informational purposes only. All third-party sources are credited and used in line with fair use.
