*EMBARGOED All research presented at the World Congress of Gastroenterology at ACG2017 is strictly embargoed until Monday, October 16, 2017, at 8:00 am EDT.
Poster 193 Is Colon Cancer Incidence Increasing in Women Younger Than 50? Results of Population-Based Study
Author Insight from Anas Raed, MD, Augusta University
What’s new here and important for clinicians?
In the United States the incidence rates of colorectal cancer (CRC) have been trending down, which could be due to screening programs. However, our data shows that incidence rates of CRC among patients younger than 50 years have been trending up. In our study, we found that among patients who were diagnosed with CRC younger than age 50 years, Caucasian females have the highest risk of CRC. Interestingly, it appeared that there were an increase in the CRC incidence rates in the majority of colon segments, i.e. ascending, descending, rectosigmoid and rectum, while the transverse colon incidence rate remained stable.
What do patients need to know?
CRC is not only a disease of the elderly, but also is catching up among the people younger than 50 years. Trends in CRC are increasing among this young population, especially among Caucasian females. In terms of location of the primary tumor, the ascending colon has the highest incidence rate followed by rectosigmoid, rectum and then descending colon. Therefore, a majority of the colon segments need attention, which emphasizes the need for colonoscopy over sigmoidoscopy. Patients should seek medical attention if they are suffering from the following symptoms that might suggest CRC: change in bowel habits, rectal bleeding, blood in the stool, persistent abdominal discomfort, fatigue, weakness, or unexplained weight loss and anemia.
Author Contact
Anas Raed, MD, Augusta University
araed@augusta.edu
Media Interview Requests:
To arrange an interview with any ACG experts or abstract authors, please contact Brian Davis of ACG via email at mediaonly@gi.org or by phone at 301-263-9000.