More people under age 50 now have access to colorectal cancer screening
PARA PUBLICACIÓN INMEDIATA
Contacto: Lisa Berry Edwards
Lisa.Edwards@preventcancer.org
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) today finalized their new recommendations for colorectal cancer screening, giving a “B” recommendation for screening people of average risk ages 45-49. Under the Affordable Care Act, insurance companies are required to fully cover any screening or early detection services rated an “A” or “B” by the USPSTF. As a result, this recommendation will increase access to colorectal cancer screening for those ages 45-49.
Previously, there was no recommendation for colorectal cancer screening for this age group, and insurance companies were not required to cover colorectal cancer screening services under age 50. The USPSTF maintains its “A” rating screening recommendation for those of average risk ages 50-75.
Why the change? Recent years have revealed an alarming trend of increased colorectal cancer cases in people younger than 50, known as “young-onset” colorectal cancer. Incidence rates of young-onset colorectal cancer cases have increased by 2% each year since 1990, and the median age of diagnosis dropped from 72 to 66.
In response to this trend, the American Cancer Society changed its guidelines in 2018 to recommend colorectal cancer screening for those at average risk to begin at 45 (down from 50).
“This final recommendation from the USPSTF is a game changer,” said Carolyn Aldigé, Founder and CEO of the Prevent Cancer Foundation. “We know that colorectal cancer is on the rise in people under 50, and we know far too many people who are getting their first colorectal cancer screening at 50 only to find out it’s too late. Opening up screening access for younger adults can stop cancer before it starts.”
en un video released in March 2021 in partnership with the Prevent Cancer Foundation, Representative Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) shared his personal experience with young-onset colorectal cancer in support of dropping the recommend screening age to 45.
“I feel very strongly about this as a colon cancer survivor. I know that early screening works and early screening is the key to surviving this cancer,” Raskin says in the video.
The Prevent Cancer Foundation celebrates the change in screening guidelines to lower the recommended colorectal cancer screening age to 45. This change will increase access to screening and will save lives.
For more information on young-onset colorectal cancer, visit Too Young For This Sh*t.
Acerca de la Fundación Prevent Cancer®
La Fundación para Prevenir el Cáncer® celebra 35 años como la única organización sin fines de lucro de EE. UU. centrada únicamente en salvar vidas en todas las poblaciones mediante la prevención y la detección temprana del cáncer. A través de la investigación, la educación, la divulgación y la promoción, hemos ayudado a innumerables personas a evitar un diagnóstico de cáncer o a detectarlo lo suficientemente temprano como para recibir un tratamiento exitoso.
La Fundación está avanzando para afrontar el desafío de reducir las muertes por cáncer en 40% para 2035. Para lograrlo, nos comprometemos a invertir $20 millones en tecnologías innovadoras para detectar el cáncer tempranamente y avanzar en la detección de múltiples cánceres, $10 millones para ampliar la detección del cáncer y la vacunación. acceso a comunidades médicamente desatendidas, y $10 millones para educar al público sobre las opciones de detección y vacunación.
Para mayor información por favor visite www.preventcancer.org.