Lowered age limits for colonoscopy paying off

It’s a topic of concern for doctors. Younger people are being diagnosed with colorectal cancers. While researchers try to pinpoint a cause, the next best thing is to start screening at a younger age.

“This is the actual scope, the colonoscope,” Dr. Sameen Khalid showed WINK News health and medical reporter Amy Oshier, the gold-standard device used to screen for disease. “It has pretty neat, clear pictures.”

A colonoscopy is one of the only screeners that can both diagnose and treat in one procedure. It looks for cancerous and precancerous polyps, then removes them with the same tool. A gastroenterologist with Lee Health, Khalid, said screening is making a difference.

“The incidence of colorectal cancer is actually decreasing in the US, which is thanks to the implementation of the screening programs like colonoscopies,” Khalid said. There is one exception: Cases are trending up in people under the age of 50. For many years, that was the recommended age for a first colonoscopy. But too many cancer cases slipped through the cracks, “especially between the ages of 40 to 50, which led to the change in the recent guidelines.”

In a reset of protocols, the age for screening is now 45. If there is no family history or symptoms. Backing up the timeline is saving lives and helping people avoid the trauma of treatment.

Fort Myers resident Ayana Brissette is one of those who benefitted. “The recommendation age was 50. And I’m 47.”

Dr. Khalid suggested she undergo a colonoscopy. Much to Brissette’s surprise, “they found two polyps.” They were benign and removed before becoming a more serious issue.

“I had no symptoms. None whatsoever. And that’s why colon cancer is scary,” Brissette said.

Her doctor agrees. “I’m happy that she came in at the right time. And we were able to find those precancerous lesions, which, if they had stayed inside, had the potential to turn into cancer,” Khalid said.

Even with lowered age guidelines, the colonoscopy only has value for people who take advantage.

March is colorectal cancer awareness month. Experts say, despite good screening methods, colorectal cancer is still a killer. It’s the third leading cause of cancer deaths in men, fourth in women.