Physician urges early screening as colon cancer rises in young adults

Dr. C.P. Choudari said incidence rates up for adults 20 to 49. 

Colorectal cancer, once considered a disease primarily affecting adults over 50, is increasingly being diagnosed in younger people, raising concern among physicians and public health experts.

Incidence rates among adults ages 20 to 49 are rising by approximately 3% each year. Early-onset colorectal cancer now accounts for about 10% of all new diagnoses. Within the next decade, American Cancer Society projections estimate that 25% of rectal cancers and up to 12% of colon cancers will be diagnosed in individuals younger than 50.

“There is no single explanation for why we’re seeing more young adults with colorectal cancer,” said C.P. Choudari, M.D., medical director of the C.P. Choudari Surgical Center at Meritus. “What’s especially concerning is that many of these patients are otherwise healthy and don’t fit the traditional risk profile.”

Known modifiable risk factors include obesity, sedentary lifestyles, poor dietary habits, smoking and alcohol use. Non-modifiable risks include family history of colorectal cancer, inflammatory bowel disease and inherited genetic syndromes such as Lynch syndrome and familial adenomatous polyposis. Still, physicians report seeing many younger patients with none of these risk factors.

Symptoms in younger adults are often overlooked or attributed to less serious conditions. Warning signs may include blood in the stool, persistent changes in bowel habits, abdominal pain, fatigue related to anemia and unexplained weight loss.

“Younger patients often delay seeking care because they assume they’re too young for cancer,” Dr. Choudari said. “Persistent symptoms should never be ignored. Early evaluation can be lifesaving.”

Meritus Hagerstown Gastroenterology provides comprehensive colonoscopy services for colorectal cancer screening and the diagnosis of gastrointestinal conditions such as colon polyps, bleeding and chronic digestive symptoms. The practice’s board-certified gastroenterologists perform procedures at the C.P. Choudari Surgical Center, an outpatient facility on the Meritus medical campus that provides patients a more affordable, convenient and personalized alternative to the hospital.

Current guidelines recommend colorectal cancer screening for average-risk adults beginning at age 45, with earlier screening for those with additional risk factors. Colonoscopy is considered the gold standard for screening and prevention.

To schedule a colonoscopy, call Meritus Hagerstown Gastroenterology at 240-513-7072. More information about the C.P. Choudari Surgical Center is available at www.meritushealth.com/choudarisurgicalcenter.