Healthy adults should now get their first screening colonoscopy at age 45. That's a change from the previous recommendation of 50. Why? Colorectal cancer diagnoses have doubled in people under 50 in the past few decades.
When detected early, the chances of beating colon cancer rise significantly. The goal of a colonoscopy is to detect polyps – small growths in your colon that could become cancerous if nothing is done. A colonoscopy is a very safe procedure, performed by expert health care providers.
"The single most important step you can take to prevent colorectal cancer is to undergo a screening colonoscopy," says colon and rectal surgeon Sean Langenfeld, MD. "You should also know your family history, as this may affect the recommended timing and frequency for a colonoscopy."
Here are 4.5 reasons every 45-year-old and up should get a colonoscopy:
1. It's efficient. A colonoscopy can detect, diagnose, biopsy and remove polyps in one procedure.
2. You won't feel a thing. Patients are put into a twilight sleep and remember little if anything.
3. Early detection puts the odds in your favor. Found in its earliest stages, colon cancer is 90% curable.
4. It's good for 10 years. If you're healthy and have no family history, a colonoscopy is only a once-in-a-decade procedure.
4.5. The prep isn't as bad as you've been told – really. The taste of bowel prep drinks has improved dramatically in recent years, and how much you need to drink has also decreased a lot.
Symptoms of colon cancer include blood in the stool, a change in bowel habits, abdominal pain and anemia. Unfortunately, by the time you have symptoms, you are almost always in a more advanced stage.
Doctors hope that the new guidance will help people like Chad Bautch, who was diagnosed with colon cancer through an early screening when he was 42. Bautch beat the cancer because it was caught so early. "It's all about having options," says Bautch. "When you talk about health care, you want to have options."
The change in recommendation means that insurers must cover colonoscopy as a preventive test for 45-year-olds and up. It's always a good idea to check with your insurer before your appointment.
You can get colon cancer screening at any of these locations. To speak with a primary care provider about your screening colonoscopy, call 800.922.0000. If you see a Nebraska Medicine primary care doctor, you can contact them through the One Chart | Patient desktop portal or the Nebraska Medicine app.
- Procedures Center at Village Pointe Health Center
- Endoscopy at Clarkson Tower
- Family Medicine at Bellevue Health Center
U.S. News & World Report has rated the Nebraska Medical Center as a High Performing Hospital in Gastroenterology from 2011 through 2020, as well as rated Gastroenterology nationally in 2012-2013, 2014-2015 and 2020-2021.
