Colon Cancer Screening Guidelines
“Have you had your colonoscopy yet?” This is the phrase that most middle aged humans hear during their yearly wellness visit. Have you ever wondered why this is always asked? When looking at deaths related to cancer, colon cancer is the third leading cause in this group. In 2018 alone the rate of colon cancer went up 31 percent. If colon cancer is caught early enough, the patient’s prognosis improves. That has led the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force or USPSTF, the group that sets colon cancer screening guidelines, to lower the screening age from 50 years of age to now 45 years of age.