Doctors push new blood tests for colon cancer as cases surge in younger adults

The American Cancer Society (ACS) has updated its guidelines for colorectal cancer screening.

The organization released the update in its flagship journal on Wednesday, noting that the new recommendations "re-affirm" that adults at average risk should be screened for colorectal cancer at age 45 and continue through 75, for those with a life expectancy greater than 10 years.

In addition to the standard colonoscopy, the ACS also recommends that patients receive a blood-based screening test in a doctor’s office, which is designed to detect tumor DNA in the blood.

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The ACS also suggested an at-home screening option that looks for hidden blood and molecular markers in stool samples.

These new guidelines reflect recent advancements in disease detection, as well as a "critical shift in public health strategy to expand screening options and lower barriers to access," the ACS stated in a press release.

Dr. Robert Smith, senior vice president of early cancer detection science at the American Cancer Society and senior author of the report, wrote in a statement that colorectal cancer should be emphasized as a "highly preventable disease as much as a treatable one."

"By offering more screening tools in our guideline update, more eligible adults will be able to participate in lifesaving colorectal cancer testing, helping to close the screening gap and catch more cancers at an earlier, treatable stage," he added.

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According to the ACS, colorectal screening "dramatically improves survival," as studies show early-stage detection yields a five-year survival rate of more than 90% in the U.S.

About one in three American adults are eligible for colorectal cancer screening but have not been tested, although ACS research marks colorectal cancer as the top cancer killer of adults under 50.

People at a high risk of colorectal cancer may need to begin screening before age 45 or be screened more often, the ACS added. Those over 85 years old should no longer be screened for colorectal cancer, per the guidelines.

Dr. William Dahut, chief scientific officer at the ACS, commented that "no matter which test you choose, what’s most important is to get screened, and that includes underserved, rural and minority populations."

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These guideline changes follow a surge in colorectal cancer diagnoses in younger individuals. Recent ACS research revealed a 50% relative increase in diagnoses in adults aged 45 to 49 from 2021 to 2022.

Dr. Aparna Parikh, medical director of the Center for Young Adult Colorectal Cancer at the Mass General Cancer Center, who is not affiliated with the ACS, shared that experts don’t "entirely understand why" cases are on the rise.

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"But it seems to be an interplay of a person’s risk factors, overall makeup and early exposures," she previously told Fox News Digital. "[Those] include dietary exposures, environmental exposures and possible antibiotic exposures, as well as lifestyle factors in the right host."

Another recent ACS study found that drinking heavily and consistently over an adult’s lifetime could lead to a higher risk of colorectal cancer.

Other known risk factors include family history, obesity, smoking, a diet high in red and processed meats, inflammatory bowel disease, and a personal history or family history of polyps.

While there may be no symptoms of colorectal cancer before diagnosis, especially in the early stages, certain symptoms should not be overlooked, experts say.

Dr. Eitan Friedman, PhD, an oncologist and founder of The Suzanne Levy-Gertner Oncogenetics Unit at the Sheba Medical Center in Israel, confirmed to Fox News Digital that changes in bowel habits are the primary red flag that should raise the suspicion of colorectal cancer.

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Other symptoms include fatigue as a result of anemia, stomach pain or abdominal discomfort, rectal bleeding or blood in the stool, weakness and unexplained weight loss.