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More Young People Than Ever Will Get Colorectal Cancer This Year
I'm gifting this article from the New York Times, so you can use it to raise awareness and encourage your relatives, friends, and acquaintances to be attentive to possible symptoms and to get screened. They can start with a Cologuard or FIT test.
I'm including some excerpts from the article for when it is no longer available in one month.
"experts are noticing a rise in early-onset colorectal cancers around the world. . . "
"millennials born around 1990 now have twice the risk of colon cancer compared with people born around the 1950s, while millennials’ risk for rectal cancer is about four times higher than that of older age groups, according to a study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute."
"It is clear that having a first-degree relative who had colorectal cancer — or even a precancerous polyp — can increase your risk."
"Recent generations have consumed more red meat, ultraprocessed foods and sugary beverages, and have been known to binge drink more frequently; between 1992 and 1998, cigarette smoking also increased before declining again, while physical activity has continuously declined for decades. All of these factors — along with the rise in obesity rates since the 1980s — are associated with cancer risk."
"Some experts believe exposure to toxic chemicals in the environment may also be to blame. 'There’s patterns of environmental exposures by geography, by race, by sex, by all the things that we know colorectal cancer rates also differ by,' Dr. Murphy said."
"So-called forever chemicals like per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, better known as PFAS, have been linked to other cancers and could also be driving some of the increase in early-onset colorectal cancer."
"Ms. Peters founded an organization called Be Seen to raise awareness of symptoms and encourage people to pledge to be screened." https://beseen.care/
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/27/well/colon-cancer-symptoms-treatment.html?ugrp=c&unlocked_article_code=1.f00.j6Y1.8X0662RveAhp&smid=url-share
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@verol65 Thank you for posting this article (that you provided as a gift) to our members. I read this article and the statistics are pretty frightening. I had my first colonoscopy at age 50 (in the year 2002) when the guidelines first changed to include my age group. I had to badger my insurance company to pay for the colonoscopy, with my doctor's help, at the time. Now the guidelines are changing again to include younger people and it's evident that colorectal cancer is disproportionate across ethnic groups. The NY Times article include all of this. It's important information.
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1 ReactionI've added an excerpt to include ethnic and other factors.
I commend you for fighting for the insurance to pay for your first colonoscopy. I live in Mexico, where insurance companies do nothing for preventative care. They won't pay for a colonoscopy if you don't already have a cancer diagnostic. They won't pay for a mamography if you don't have a cancer diagnostic. They're not pro-active at all. Some large corporate employers have now included an annual check-up for their personnel, starting at a certain level in the corporate hierachy.
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