Citing rising cancer rates among younger patients, the group calls for lowering the age to 45 from 50

Screening has helped lower the rates of new colorectal cancer diagnoses in Canadians over the age of 50. The opposite is happening for cohorts too young to qualify for screening.

Canada should lower the starting age for colorectal-cancer screening to 45 from 50 because rates of the disease are rising among younger patients, according to a prominent cancer advocacy group.

Colorectal Cancer Canada will unveil a campaign Tuesday calling on provinces and territories to promote and provide stool tests to people beginning five years earlier than is the practice today, after similar advice from the United States and Australia.

From The Globe and Mail via this RSS feed