More Aggressive Screening Recommended for Colorectal Cancer

Colon cancer, or colorectal cancer, is the second leading cancer killer in the United States, and the third most common cancer overall. This should serve as a reminder to us to refer patients for screening on an annual basis. The current recommended age for screening starts at the age of 50, but most proactive physicians are starting to refer patients at an even earlier age.

Localized disease is highly treatable. Unfortunately, metastasis occurs with minimal symptoms. These symptoms may include abdominal pain, weight loss, rectal bleeding or changes in the consistency and frequency of bowel movements. For this reason, colorectal cancer screening should be part of routine health maintenance.

Anyone is at risk for developing colon cancer. Those who have a personal history of colon polyps or a family history of colon cancer are at high risk of developing the disease and should be screened earlier. In addition, those with a personal history of inflammatory bowel disease or other cancers including breast, ovarian, and uterine cancer are at high risk for this disease.

The latest reports indicate that colorectal cancer incidence rates have been decreasing for most of the last two decades. The more rapid decrease in recent years reflects an increase in screening. We need to be more aggressive if we really want to lower these numbers. Researchers estimate that if everyone age 50 or older received regular colorectal cancer screenings, at least one-third of the deaths would be prevented.

(Chief of Staff's Note: We welcome your submissions to Perspectives, a periodic column featuring bylined articles from Cedars-Sinai physicians. Articles should be no longer than 350 words and are subject to editing for accuracy, clarity and length. Please also include your name and telephone number. Submissions should be sent to: MedStaffPulse@cshs.org.)