The Canadian Cancer Society is advocating for a significant shift in colorectal cancer screening protocols, recommending the age be lowered to 45 from the current 50. This call comes amid a concerning increase in diagnoses among individuals under 50, who are now two to 2.5 times more likely to be diagnosed compared to previous generations.
Brandon Purcell, advocacy manager for prevention and early detection at the Canadian Cancer Society, emphasized the need for governments to "react to that so that we can catch more of these cancers early." Routine screening typically involves a fecal immunochemical test (FIT), and a positive result leads to a colonoscopy. The society argues that initiating FIT screening at age 45 could lead to earlier detection when survival rates are as high as 90 percent, compared to less than 15 percent in advanced stages.
Colorectal Cancer Canada also supports lowering the screening age. A recent study published in the Journal of the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology suggests that starting home-based FIT tests at age 45 could prevent thousands of cancer cases and deaths over the next 45 years, while also potentially saving millions in treatment costs.