Stacy Wentworth: Why don’t we allow screening colonoscopies for younger population?

Stacy Wentworth, Radiation Oncologist at Cancer Culture, shared on LinkedIn:

“Colorectal cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in men under 50. Individuals born in 1990 have 2x the risk of colon cancer and 4x the risk of rectal cancer than people born in 1950.

Young people can have symptoms for up to 2 years before being diagnosed leading to more advanced (and less curable) cancers. 20% of colorectal cancer in young people is associated with a known genetic mutation.

And yet, we begin colorectal cancer screening at 45. People ages 20-30 are walking around today with the polyps that will turn into cancer and likely kill them in the next 10 years.

We could cure their cancers if we just allowed them to undergo screening colonoscopies. So why don’t we? This week’s Cancer Culture.”

Source: Stacy Wentworth/LinkedIn