Canadian Cancer Society calling for earlier screening for colorectal cancer

Incidence of colorectal cancer has significantly increased among younger adults in recent decades, with the likelihood of a diagnosis now 2 to 2.5 times higher than in previous generations of the same age. A recent study from Dr. Darren Brenner, PhD, and other Canadian researchers has demonstrated the need for earlier colorectal cancer screening to meet this growing trend, showing how lowering the start age to 45 would result in over 15,000 fewer colorectal cancer cases and 6,100 fewer deaths over the next 45 years.

In March, Dr. Brenner spoke on Parliament Hill in Ottawa about the urgent need for earlier colorectal cancer screening in Canada. Joined by fellow advocates and representatives from Colon Cancer Canada, he helped advance the national conversation calling for earlier screening and detection to address the rise of colorectal cancers among people younger than 50. The Canadian Cancer Society (CCS) also expressed its support in a recent release, urging provinces and territories to lower the screening age for colorectal cancer from 50 to 45. 
 
“What makes the rise in colorectal cancer among younger adults so alarming isn’t just the trend in the data. It’s what that trend represents for real people,” explained Dr. Brenner in the CCS release. “We’re seeing more Canadians diagnosed at ages when cancer is least expected, often before routine screening begins. As researchers, it’s vital that we continue to track these patterns at both the provincial and national level to better understand what’s driving them. The more clearly we know who is being affected and why, the better positioned we are to move forward strategies that can reduce the impact of this disease.”

Read more about this at The Globe and Mail.