How Healthy Is Your Colon? You should know.

I‘d imagine not very many of you know exactly how healthy your colon is.  Without screening, colorectal cancer is one of those cancers you usually don’t know you have until it is advanced.  New guidelines have just been announced stating that screening with a colonoscopy should begin at age 45 instead of 50.  Doctors are finding patients with colon cancer at younger and younger ages.  Take the example of the actor who recently died from it at age 43.  Chadwick Boseman passed away in August of this year from Stage III colon cancer only 4 years after his diagnosis.  The rate of new colorectal cancer cases in older people has declined, but it has risen sharply for young adults. Nobody knows exactly why this is happening.  Colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer deaths in our country.  This year, it is expected that 12% of the diagnoses will be for people younger than 50.  You know we care about your health here at Paragon Orthopedic Center, so even though this is not a part of the body we see in our clinic, we want to educate you and encourage you to invest in your health.  Ask you primary care provider if a colorectal screening is appropriate for you today.  Take care of yourself Southern Oregon!

https://www.healthline.com/health-news/colon-cancer-screening-should-start-at-age-45-according-to-new-guidelines#Millions-more-Americans-could-be-screened