02/10/2024
Don't throw out the p**p test! 💩
Early last year, the American Cancer Society reported that 20% of colorectal cancer diagnoses in 2019 were in patients under age 55. That is about double the rate from just two decades ago.
In 2023, the World Health Organization found that colorectal cancer is the 3rd most common cancer worldwide, accounting for approximately 10% of all cancer cases, and the 2nd leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide.
In fact, a 2024 American Cancer Society report has found that, compared to two decades ago, colorectal cancer moved from being the 4th leading cause of cancer death in both men and women under the age of 50 to being the FIRST in men and the 2nd in women. (Breast cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death in women under 50.)
In the USA and Canada, public health screening for this cancer starts at age 50. With patients, I refer to one of these screening tests as the “p**p test” that arrives in the mail.
Many people misplace them or throw them out. Don’t do that! As unpleasant as it may be to collect a stool sample, the peace of mind is beyond worth it. Plus, it is convenient: you can do this test at home, it only takes a few minutes, and you do not have to change your diet or stop any medications.
This p**p test, technically called the FIT (f***l immunochemical test) checks your stool (p**p) for tiny amounts of blood, which can be invisible to the naked eye. This microscopic bleeding can be caused by colorectal cancer or some pre-cancerous polyps (growths in the colon or re**um that can turn into cancer over time).
Given the changes that we are seeing with age at diagnosis, experts and task forces are suggesting that screening for colorectal cancer start 5 years earlier - at age 45.
Stay tuned for more on this topic, like signs and symptoms to watch for, why colorectal cancer may be on the rise in younger populations, what the colour of our p**p can tell us, and more.
DM if you have questions you'd like me to answer in a future post about this topic!
