Increased Risk

Risk on the Rise: More Young Adults With Colon Cancer

For more information or to make an appointment with Dr. Fontenot, call 337.494.4785 or go to www.lcmh.com where you can view Dr. Fontenot’s seminar on early onset colorectal cancer. With this new upward trend in younger people being diagnosed with colorectal cancer, the recommended age for having a colonoscopy has dropped from 50 to 45.

Colon cancer is one of the very few cancers that may be truly preventable and colonoscopy is the only true preventative screening option.

Dr. Eric Fontenot

Historically, colorectal cancer is not the most talked about cancer or one that really becomes a thought until a person reaches the age of 50 to 60. Yet, times are changing as this very preventable and treatable disease, if caught early, is showing up more and more in younger people in the prime of their lives.

The good news is colon cancer cases in people 50 and older have declined by 35 percent nationwide since 1990, but on the flip side, cases in younger adults has doubled in the same time period. People born in the 1990s have four-times the risk of developing rectal cancer and two-times the risk of developing colon cancer compared to their parents.

“We call this new colorectal cancer trend in people under the age of 50 Early Onset Colorectal Cancer or EOCRC,” says Memorial Medical Group Gastroenterologist Eric Fontenot. “It’s a trend that we need to get in front of, as people ages 20-49 have seen cases with this type of cancer rise by 51 percent since 1994.”

The “why” this is happening is hard to pinpoint as up to 80 percent of EOCRC does not appear to occur in those with a high-risk family history. Thus, this upward trend is happening too fast to be explained by genetics alone. However, even with that being true, paying attention to family history remains critically important. There are people who are in a higher risk category if they have a family history of abdomen cancers, particularly before the age of 60, or in multiple relatives.

There is some correlation with inflammatory bowel diseases such as Cohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis. Obesity, sedentary lifestyles and diets low in calcium and vitamin D are seen as contributors to EOCRC. Louisiana ranks #7 in new diagnosis for people under 50, and Southwest Louisiana is a hotspot on that list. “With this new upward trend in younger people being diagnosed with colorectal cancer, the recommended age for having a colonoscopy has dropped from 50 to 45,” Dr. Fontenot says. “This shows the seriousness of this trend. It will also prompt more people to get screened to either prevent the cancer from spreading or prevent it from happening all together.”

Colon cancer survival rate is around 80 percent if it is caught in a localized area. The problem is once symptoms begin in people, the cancer could already be advanced.

That is why prevention and timely screenings are so important. Colon cancer is one of the very few cancers that may be truly preventable and colonoscopy is the only true preventative screening option. That preventative benefit of colonoscopy is often lost amidst the noise of the less glamorous aspects – bowel prep, sedation and the low, but real risk of complications. Some protective factors include a diet high in fiber, lean meats, no smoking, limited alcohol and regular physical activity.

“We highly recommend people get timely colon cancer screenings, as recommended by your doctor. In a colonoscopy, we’re on the hunt for the colon polyp. In general, colon cancer begins as a colon polyp and polyps may be completely removed at the time of colonoscopy thus preventing the cancer from forming in the first place. That’s an amazing potential-preventing cancer before it can even start. With newer prep options, including an all-pill prep option, the overall experience is improving every day,” Dr. Fontenot says. “If you do have some unexplained symptoms such as passing blood, weight loss or a change in bowel habits, come see us. The earlier we can attack this cancer, the much better the outcomes.”