Danae from Washington D.C. had a colonoscopy at a younger age than is usually recommended due to a family history of colon cancer. She said that knowing the results, whether good or bad, was worth it to ease her concerns. While screening rates are low for the general recommended populations, they are even lower for high-risk groups. Increasing screening could decrease colorectal cancer diagnoses and deaths by at least 60%. Screening guidelines vary based on individual risk factors like family history of colon cancer or other colon diseases. People at higher risk may need to begin screening colonoscopies earlier, from ages 8 to 45, depending on their specific situation and medical history.

1. Colonoscopy Screening for Special Populations
Gastro Symptoms
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2. “Knowing the results, whether bad or good – is worth it.”
That’s what a young woman named Danae from Washington D.C. told the Center for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) after her first screening. She was much younger than the usual candidate for a colonoscopy,
but with a history of colon cancer on both sides of her family, she’d always been familiar with the importance
of getting screened. Along with advice from her doctor, she decided it was better to be safe than sorry. “Even
though the process itself may be uncomfortable, I would tell people who hesitate to get screened that knowing
the results—whether good or bad—is worth it,” she said, according to the CDC’s website.
In a series of testimonials, a myriad of patients, previously diagnosed with colon cancer or not, defend the
importance of getting screened. “If they can catch it early…why not get screened?” David from Connecticut
asked. Based on testimonials, studies, and statistics, it’s obviously no secret that colonoscopies can save lives.
The procedure helps detect growths, cancers and other abnormalities at an early stage, before they can
threaten your health.
Despite efforts to inform people of all ages about the preventative power of colonoscopies, the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services’ Heath System Measuring Project found that not only is the rate of
screenings for recommended populations low, but the number of screenings for at risk populations is even
lower.
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3. “Knowing the results, whether bad or good – is worth it.”
According to the CDC, in 2012, more than 100,000 people were diagnosed with colorectal cancer and more
than 50,000 died, contributing to the disease’s status as the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in
the country. But increasing screenings could significantly decrease these morbid statistics by at least 60
percent.
In general, the United States Preventative Service Task Force, the American Society of Gastrointestinal
Endoscopy and the U.S. Multi-Society Task Force on Colorectal Cancer recommend that adults over the age of
50 receive screenings including but not limited to: colonoscopies every 10 years, an annual check-up and a
flexible sigmoidoscopy every five years.
However, physicians agree that doesn’t mean other populations shouldn’t partake in the practice as
well. For example, according to a study published by the National Institutes of Health, a younger individual
diagnosed with Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (FAP) syndrome, an inherited disorder which is characterized
by an extensive growth of polyps throughout the colon, has a significant risk of developing colon cancer. This
disease state is characterized by a mutation of the APC gene responsible for generating a type of protein that
suppresses cancer. Patients with this disease should have screening colonoscopies starting at age ten,
repeated yearly.
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4. “Knowing the results, whether bad or good – is worth it.”
If an individual has been diagnosed with cancer or other diseases of the colon, including inflammatory bowel
diseases such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, screenings should start as early as eight to ten years of age
and be repeated every one to two years, especially if the diagnoses involves at least one-third of the colon.
The American College of Gastroenterology recommends family history of such disease states should serve as an
incentive to have annual consultations and a colonoscopy every three years.
As far as colon cancer goes, other factors can also contribute to an increased risk whereby an individual would
benefit from screening at an earlier age. These factors include the consideration of race. African-Americans, for
instance, have the highest age-adjusted CRC (colorectal cancer) rate. The high risk affects all areas of the colon,
except the rectum. For this reason, the suggested age to initiate screening colonoscopies is 45. African-American
women, especially, have a higher risk compared to women of other ethnicities.
Overall, women have a higher rate of colon cancer than men. However, over time, older men are more at risk,
especially for diagnoses such as distal adenoma, tumors in the lower colon, and proximal neoplasia, a type of
abnormal growth in the upper colon.
Though the chance of CRC increases with age, such factors have been recognized as more accurate determinant of
risk rather than age alone.
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5. If you’re unsure of your risk factors, would like more information or would like to schedule a personal screening,
please visit the link below.
gastrosymptoms.com

6. Thank
You
Gastro
Symptoms
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