Fredericksburg Parent

12 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • March 2023 Colorectal cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer- related death in men and women combined in the U.S., according to the American Cancer Society. While incidence rates have been coming down in recent years among older adults, colorectal cancer rates among U.S. adults under 50 years old have been increasing by 1% to 2% annually since the mid-1990s. Both the American Cancer Society and the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force now recommend that adults of average risk begin screening for colorectal can- cers at age 45—five years earlier than the previous recom- mendation. Q: What does screening for colorectal cancers involve? Dr. Baldwin Young: Screening tests are used to detect a problem before someone has symptoms. The idea is that if we identify a problem before symptoms start, we catch it earlier, when we are more likely to be able to treat and cure it. One of the common tests people get to screen for colorectal can- cers is a colonoscopy. These are really important because when we do a colonoscopy, we can find polyps, and actually remove them right there during the procedure. Polyps are tiny masses that are often not cancerous, but can be. All colon and rectal cancers come from these pre-cancerous polyps. So when these polyps are found and removed during a colonoscopy, you can have the peace of mind that they won't develop into cancer. When you get a colonoscopy, you decrease the risk of dying of colon and rectal cancers by 70%. Q: Why has the recommended age for screening been moved to 45? Dr. Baldwin Young: Researchers noticed that there were more young people being diagnosed with colon and rectal cancers. In fact, the number of people under age 50 diagnosed rose to 11% for colon cancer and 15% for rectal cancer in 2020, compared with 5% diagnosed with colon cancer and 9% with rectal cancer in 2010. It was a pretty significant increase. So if more young people are being diagnosed, that means we need to start screening earlier, so that we can find the polyps to prevent the cancer, or find cancer at an earlier stage when we have a higher likelihood of curing it. Colonoscopy Isn't Something to Put Off WRITTEN BY EMILY FREEHLING Dr. Kiyanda Baldwin Young, MD, MPH, FACS, is a board-certified surgeon specializing in colorectal surgery with Mary Washington Healthcare. As March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, she answers ques- tions about the importance of getting screened for colorectal cancers.

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