More younger people are getting colonoscopies, a new study suggests
After the recommended age to start screening for colorectal cancer was lowered to 45, there was a small but significant increase in screenings among younger people, according to a study published in the journal JAMA Network Open.
After the recommended age to start screening for colorectal cancer was lowered to 45, there was a small but significant increase in screenings among younger people, according to a study published in the journal JAMA Network Open.
The lower screening age was put into place in 2021 by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, which previously recommended starting screenings at age 50.
Colorectal cancer cases have been rising in people younger than 50 over the last two decades. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force isn’t the first group to suggest lowering the screening age. In 2018, the American Cancer Society also recommended to start getting checked at 45.
The U.S. Preventive Service’s Task Force’s recommendation carries weight, however, because if the group endorses a screening for a particular group, insurance will cover it.
The new study found that colorectal cancer screening among 45- to 49-year-olds remains low overall but increased threefold following the 2021 guideline change.
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