Goodyear hospital recognizes Colorectal Cancer Month

Accordinf to Abrazo Health, colorectal cancer is increasingly being diagnosed in younger adults, a shift that has led national health groups to recommend earlier screening this March for Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.

About 10% of new colorectal cancer cases in the United States occurs in people younger than 50, and rates among adults ages 30 to 49 have more than doubled over the past three decades, according to the American Cancer Society. The organization estimates roughly 107,000 new colon cancer cases and 46,000 rectal cancer cases in 2025.

In response to rising cases, the society lowered the recommended starting age for average-risk screening from 50 to 45.

“It used to be that colorectal cancer was primarily seen in people older than 60. That is no longer the case,” said Dr. Neeraj Singh, a colorectal surgeon with Abrazo Health.

Younger patients are often diagnosed at later stages because symptoms such as rectal bleeding, abdominal pain and constipation may be attributed to less serious conditions, Singh said.

Risk factors include family history, inflammatory bowel diseases, certain inherited syndromes, obesity and inactivity. Screening can detect precancerous polyps before they develop into cancer, and physicians recommend people discuss when to begin testing based on their personal risk factors.