March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, and the disease has been back in the national spotlight following the passing of Dawson’s Creek star James Van Der Beek at 48 earlier this year. His death echoes another widely felt loss — SC native Chadwick Boseman, who died from colorectal cancer at 43 in 2020.

Specialists at Lexington Health say these high-profile cases underscore an important takeaway: screening earlier can save lives.

Across the United States, colorectal cancer deaths have steadily declined by about 1% each year since the early 2000s, thanks in large part to earlier screening and increased awareness.

“We’re screening at an earlier age,” explained Thomas Mazza, MD, FACS, a colorectal surgeon with Lexington Surgery at Lexington Health. “Until just a few years ago, the guidelines used to be age 50, and it was recommended that average-risk individuals start getting screened. Then, around 2018, the recommended age was lowered to 45.”

Screening options to know

Doctors at Lexington Health say patients now have several screening options:

Colonoscopy: The gold standard because it can detect and remove precancerous polyps during the procedure.
Stool-based tests: Non-invasive tests completed at home that look for blood in the stool.
Blood tests: Newly approved by the FDA and convenient for some patients, though less effective at detecting precancerous polyps.

One challenge with colorectal cancer is that it often develops without symptoms.

“It’s always treatable, but it’s curable if you catch it early,” Dr. Mazza said.

Common risk factors

While anyone can develop colorectal cancer, doctors say several lifestyle factors can increase risk, including:

A sedentary lifestyle
Obesity
High-fat diets
Smoking
Diets high in highly processed foods

Because symptoms may not appear until later stages, experts recommend adults begin screening at age 45, or earlier for those with increased risk.

Quiz

At what age do current guidelines recommend that average-risk adults begin regular colorectal cancer screening?

A. 40
B. 45
C. 50
D. 55

Tell us what you think