Doctors seeing more colon cancer in younger patients

Call it a mix of good and bad news for your health. New data from the American Cancer Society shows a decline in colon cancer cases and deaths in people over the age of 50. However, it also shows a sharp increase in colorectal cancers in people in their 40s and 30s, and even as young as their 20s.

Ask anybody about colon cancer and they will tell you much the same.

“I’ve never even considered colon cancer as a thing. I thought old men get that,” said Chaya Biskin-Sitko.

“I didn’t even think that young people could get colon cancer,” said Rhea Buckner.

Both of these women are in their 30s. Both have been diagnosed with colorectal cancer.

David Cohan’s daughter died at the age of 42 from stage 4 colon cancer.

“The perception is, even today it’s older people, but it’s not older people anymore,” said Cohan.

Those most at risk now are Gen Xers and millennials. More of them are being diagnosed with colon cancer according to the new study. It shows colon cancer rates since the mid 1980s increasing 1 percent to 2.4 percent a year, but declining for those over age 55. Doctors say this is likely because colonoscopies at age 50 can remove benign polyps before they can turn cancerous. The study even says these younger age groups have twice the risk of colon cancer and four times the risk of rectal cancer as the older group when they reach the same age.

Dr. Jeffrey Hancock is an oncologist at the Teton Cancer Institute in Idaho Falls. He is aware of the study.

“If you look at the incidents of colon cancers in western countries versus eastern countries, it’s significantly different,” said Hancock. He said the difference is our western diets. We are not eating well.

“There has been a good correlation established between how healthfully or healthy we eat and the prevalence of colon cancers,” said Hancock.

Dr. Daniel Labow is a surgeon at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. He agrees and adds there even more contributing factors.

“Some of the studies have shown, reflected on diet, sedentary lifestyle, increase in fat, things like that in the diet that are now affecting people younger and younger,” said Labow.

But diet aside, something is happening at age 50.

“(It) is that we are catching the cancers earlier as a result of the screening,” said Hancock.

Current guidelines suggest starting routine screenings at age 50. But if the data shows this is working well, why not lower the age for screenings? Dr. Andrea Cercek of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center said it is possible.

“Although the data do not completely support early screening we may want to consider it,” she said.

Insurance companies won’t pay for a colonoscopy unless age 50 or older and if recommended by a doctor. But if the data shows it works and it’s preventative for major health issues and costs down the road, then why not?

“If we are lowering the age of screenings, wouldn’t you think the insurance companies would be onboard with that?” asked KIDK Eyewitness News 3 anchor Todd Kunz.

“We would hope so. I think unfortunately, the insurance companies are leaving those determinations to my colleagues. Those who are writing the recommendations for screening, include the National Comprehensive Cancer Network as well as the National Institute of Medicine. And as of right now, until they present a compelling argument to the insurance companies, it’s likely the insurance companies are not going to be the innovators,” said Hancock.

Hancock said his colleagues are talking more about prevention of colon cancer.

“He said, ‘I want to put this into perspective. If I wanted to stop 50 percent of the cancers in this country, I could very easily do that by outlawing tobacco products’.” said Hancock, referring to a medical colleague’s presentation on colon cancer.

Hancock said we often blame tobacco for problems like lung cancer, but there is a good correlation between tobacco use and colon cancer. Because a person swallows as they are smoking or chewing tobacco. They are ultimately ingesting those carcinogens into their GI tract. For this reason, a number of studies show a connection to colon cancer.

The bottom line comes from Eden Stotsky, an oncology nurse. She was misdiagnosed for eight years before she was diagnosed at age 26.

“It’s one of those cancers that is preventable. When do you ever hear cancer and preventable in the same sentence? Colon cancer is preventable,” said Stotsky

Typically, a colonoscopy bill will be broken into three parts. There will be the payment for the doctor, the facility which includes the drugs used during the procedure, and the pathology or lab work.

The American Cancer Society estimates there will be more than 95,000 new cases of colon cancer in 2017 and nearly 40,000 cases of rectal cancer.