Dear NP

Dear NP,

I have a friend who was recently diagnosed with end-stage colon cancer at a young age. Please tell me what the recommendations are for colorectal cancer screening? Are there any options for screening besides having a colonoscopy?

Dear Reader,

Unfortunately, the rate at which people under 65 are diagnosed with colorectal cancer has been steadily increasing since the mid-1980s. About 12% of colorectal cases in 2020 are in people aged 65 or lower.

However, the rate at which older people get colorectal cancer has been decreasing. This decline is primarily due to more people getting the re...