Latest news with #JessicaStar
Fox News
08-08-2025
- Health
- Fox News
Colorectal cancer diagnoses soar among younger adults for one key reason
Updated cancer screening guidance has reportedly caused a spike in diagnoses among younger Americans. According to two studies by the American Cancer Society (ACS), there's been a recent surge in colorectal cancer in people aged 45 to 49. ACS scientists found that after 15 years of stable colorectal cancer (CRC) trends, U.S. diagnoses of local-stage disease skyrocketed in this age group from 2019 to 2022 — including a 50% relative increase from 2021 to 2022. "It is promising news, because the uptick in cases is likely due to first-time screening in the wake of new recommendations for younger, average-risk adults to begin testing for colorectal cancer earlier," lead author Elizabeth Schafer, an associate scientist and cancer researcher at ACS, commented in a press release. In 2018, ACS lowered the recommended age for CRC screenings from 50 to 45. The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) enforced the same guidance in 2021. In the first study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), the researchers analyzed CRC diagnoses from 2004 to 2022 among adults aged 20 to 54, sorted by age, location and stage at diagnosis. Diagnoses have increased by 1.6% each year since 2004 in the 20 to 39 age group, and by more than 2% annually since 2012 in those aged 40 to 44 and 50 to 54. A 1.1% annual increase in people 45 to 49 years old accelerated to 12% per year from 2019 to 2022. The ACS confirmed the increase was driven by the detection of local-stage tumors, which increased by nearly 19% each year for colon cancer and more than 25% for rectal cancer in that timeframe. Before this period, colon cancer detection rates had been stable, and rectal cancer detection rates had been declining. Advanced-stage disease also continues to steeply increase, ACS reported, rising from 1.7% to 2.9% annually since 2004 among adults under 45 and "even more rapidly" in the past 10 years in those aged 45 to 54. These findings led to another ACS study, also published in JAMA, which found that CRC screening among U.S. adults between 45 and 49 increased by 62% from 2019 to 2023. The scientists analyzed the data of more than 50,000 individuals to compare changes in screening. They found that CRC screening, which was at 20% in 2021, jumped to 37% in 2023. Among 45- to 49-year-olds, colonoscopy screening increased by 43%, and stool-based testing increased more than five times from 2019 to 2023. Lead author Jessica Star, associate scientist at ACS in Atlanta, considers it "thrilling" to see this increase in screening among younger individuals, as it's likely linked to earlier-stage diagnoses. "However, we still have a long way to go," she said in the release. "Screening for colorectal cancer in ages 45 to 49 remains suboptimal, and has not increased equitably by both educational attainment and insurance status." Paul E. Oberstein, M.D., medical oncologist and assistant director of the Pancreatic Cancer Center at NYU Langone Perlmutter Cancer Center, said the increase in screening is "successful in detecting more cancers at an early stage where the chance of cure is very high." "This ultimately should mean that fewer people are diagnosed later in life and fewer people have advanced colon cancer," Oberstein, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital. "This study reinforces the need to focus research on understanding the causes of colon cancer increases – and possible steps to reduce these cases." The rate of colon cancer in those under 45 remains "substantially lower," he noted, "so it is not clear yet if universal screening at a younger age is beneficial." Some specific patients who are younger than 45 may benefit from earlier screening, however, such as those with a family history or personal risk factors, the oncologist added. As colon cancer continues to increase in younger individuals, Oberstein recommends contacting a doctor if any concerning symptoms are noticed. Dr. Craig Eagle, chief medical officer of Guardant Health in California, added that early detection is "crucial," noting that the five-year survival rate for CRC is over 90% when the disease is caught in early stages. "[This] plummets to 13% in late stages when symptoms usually appear," Eagle, who also was not involved in the research, told Fox News Digital. "The rise in diagnoses for those in their 40s is an alarming reminder that screening must be easier and more accessible to reach the 50 million Americans who remain unscreened."
UPI
06-08-2025
- Health
- UPI
Rise in colon cancer cases attributed to lower screening age
The American Cancer Society says an uptick in colon cancer cases in the 45-49 age group is a result of lowered screening ages leading to earlier detection. Photo by Adobe Stock/HealthDay There's been a steep increase in colon cancer cases among adults 45 to 49 in recent years, and that's a good thing, experts say. This upsurge means that more colon cancers are being caught at an earlier, more treatable stage, thanks to a decision to lower the screening age from 50 to 45, researchers argue in a pair of new studies from the American Cancer Society. "It is promising news because the uptick of cases is likely due to first-time screening in the wake of new recommendations for younger average-risk adults to begin testing for colorectal cancer earlier," researcher Elizabeth Schaefer, an associate scientist of surveillance and health equity science with the ACS, said in a news release. The ACS lowered its recommended age to begin colon cancer screening from 50 to 45 in 2018, and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force followed suit in 2021, researchers said in background notes. To see whether this made a difference, researchers analyzed surveillance data on colon cancer kept by the National Cancer Institute. Results show that colon cancer diagnoses accelerated to 12% per year in people 45 to 49 between 2019 and 2022, following the change in screening recommendations, one of the studies found. That's up from an average annual increase of 1% between 2004 to 2019 among that age group, researchers said. Similarly, there was an average annual increase under 2% for adults 20 to 39, 2% among those 40 to 44 and nearly 3% among those 50 to 54. The increase in colon cancer cases for the 45-to-49 group was driven by a steep rise in the detection of early-stage colon cancers, results show. Since the screening age was lowered, nearly 19% more localized colon cancers and 25% more localized rectal cancers were diagnosed each year in that age group, researchers said. These cancers have not had a chance to spread to other parts of the body and usually cause no symptoms. American Cancer Society researchers also found that colon cancer screening among adults 45 to 49 increased by 62% between 2019 and 2023, according to findings from the second study. In that study, researchers analyzed data on colon cancer screening gathered by the National Health Interview Survey, a regular poll taken by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Results showed that stool-based colon cancer testing increased more than fivefold among 45- to 49-year-olds between 2019 and 2023, and colonoscopies increased by 43%. "It's not only thrilling to see the increase in colorectal cancer screening among younger adults, but also how it likely ties into rises in earlier stage diagnosis as noted in the other ACS-led paper," researcher Jessica Star said in a news release. She's an associate scientist of cancer risk factors and screening surveillance research at the American Cancer Society. Dr. David Rivadeneira, director of the Northwell Health Cancer Institute at Huntington Hospital on Long Island, N.Y., and a colorectal cancer specialist, agrees with the researchers' take on their data. "I think both studies basically show that the screening recommendations are having a significant positive impact, meaning it's doing what it's supposed to do," Rivadeneira, who was not involved in the research, said in a news release. "It's supposed to pick up early cancers, and that's one of the good things about these two studies, that it looks like the vast majority of these cancers are in early stage, which is good because early-stage colon cancer is extremely curative," he said. The recommendation to have a colonscopy at age 45 is affecting survival in these patients, he continued. "Imagine if these patients were not screened at 45 and they have a cancer at this age. They wait till 50. That's five years down the road," Rivadeneira said. "Many of these patients would have distant metastatic or far advanced cancer where the cure rates are not so good." The two new studies were published Aug. 4 in the Journal of the American Medical Association. More information The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on colon cancer screening. Copyright © 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
New York Post
04-08-2025
- Health
- New York Post
A key habit boosts colorectal cancer survival rates — as docs see ‘tremendous increase' in young people with the disease
Don't stall — your butt is on the line. Nearly 53,000 Americans are expected to die of colorectal cancer this year, making it one of the deadliest cancers in the US. Though the death rate has been declining in older adults, it has been steadily rising among people younger than 55 since the 1990s. Because of this worrisome trend, the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) lowered its recommendation for starting colorectal cancer screening from age 50 to 45 in 2021. The American Cancer Society (ACS) made the same suggestion in 2018 for people at average risk for the disease. 4 Though the colorectal cancer death rate has been declining in older adults, it has been steadily rising among people younger than 55 since the 1990s. ryanking999 – New research out Monday in the Journal of the American Medical Association shows the guidance is working. Colorectal cancer screening among Americans aged 45 to 49 rose by 62% from 2019 to 2023. 'It's not only thrilling to see the increase in colorectal cancer screening among younger adults, but also how it likely ties into rises in earlier stage diagnosis as noted in the other ACS-led paper,' said lead study author Jessica Star, an ACS associate scientist for cancer risk factors and screening surveillance research. The increase in screenings appears to have paved the way for an uptick in diagnoses of early-stage colorectal cancer among 45- to 49-year-olds. Early stage typically means the disease hasn't spread beyond the colon or rectum. Early-stage diagnoses in 45- to 49-year-olds rose from 11.7 cases per 100,000 people in 2021 to 17.5 cases per 100,000 people in 2022, according to a study also published Monday in JAMA. 4 Because of this concerning trend, the US Preventive Services Task Force lowered its recommendation for starting colorectal cancer screening from age 50 to 45 in 2021. A colonoscopy, a popular screening method, is shown here. ShvedKristina – Early detection can significantly improve survival rates and treatment outcomes. 'We still have a long way to go,' Star said. 'Screening for colorectal cancer in ages 45-49 remains suboptimal and has not increased equitably by both educational attainment and insurance status.' Colonoscopies, when a doctor uses a long, thin, flexible tube to examine the colon for abnormalities, spiked 43% and stool-based testing jumped more than 5-fold from 2019 to 2023 in the 45 to 49 group. Every racial and ethnic group underwent more screenings, as people without a high school diploma and uninsured people sat on the sidelines. ACS warns that screening is more important than ever. Advanced-stage colorectal cancer has risen 1.7% to 2.9% annually since 2004 among adults younger than 45 and even more sharply in the past decade in people 45 to 54. 4 Scientists aren't exactly sure why colorectal cancer patients are getting younger. Several factors could be to blame. Nadzeya – 'I've been in practice for 25 years, and I can tell you over the last 10 years and particularly over the last five years, we have seen a tremendous increase in cancer in young patients,' Dr. David Rivadeneira — director of the Northwell Health Cancer Institute at Huntington Hospital and a colorectal cancer specialist, who was not involved in the new research — told The Post. 'We never used to see this,' he added. 'This used to be a diagnosis you give to someone in their mid-50s, 60s, 70s or 80s.' Scientists aren't exactly sure why colorectal cancer patients are getting younger. They have pointed the finger at the prevalence of obesity, sedentary lifestyles, the Western diet, excess sugar consumption and environmental factors such as pollutants in the air, soil and water. Rivadeneira noted that he now recommends a colonoscopy for people with any concerning symptoms, no matter their age. Common colorectal cancer symptoms include changes in bathroom habits, blood in stool, stomach pain or cramping, unexplained weight loss and fatigue. Surgery is the primary treatment for most colon cancers, with survival rates influenced by the stage of the disease. 4 Common colorectal cancer symptoms include changes in bathroom habits, blood in stool, stomach pain or cramping, unexplained weight loss and fatigue. ryanking999 – Stage 1 colon cancer is curable 90% of the time with just surgery and no other treatment, Rivadeneira said. Stage 2 — when the tumor is larger and has grown through the bowel wall but has not spread to nearby lymph nodes — has a survival rate of 80% to 85%. 'When you go to Stage 3, now it's spread to the lymph nodes, it drops down to the 60% mark,' Rivadeneira said. 'So the sooner the tumors are detected, the higher the cure rate and again, no need for chemotherapy or any additional treatment besides the surgery.'
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Cancer screening rates rebound after COVID-19 pandemic
Preventive screenings for cancer declined during the pandemic, with lockdowns, social distancing and COVID-19 surges keeping many from needed mammograms and colonoscopies. But breast and colon cancer screening numbers have since rebounded and have even surpassed pre-pandemic screening estimates, a new American Cancer Society study has found. "These findings are mostly encouraging, as the pandemic resulted in widespread disruptions in cancer screening in the U.S.," lead researcher Jessica Star, an associate scientist of cancer risk factors and screening surveillance research at the American Cancer Society, said in a news release. Unfortunately, the good news doesn't extend to cervical cancer screenings, which remain below pre-pandemic levels, researchers reported Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association. "The continued decline in cervical cancer screening is troubling as diagnoses of cervical cancers at an early stage, when they are more treatable, also decreased during the pandemic," Star said. "Without returns to cervical cancer screening, prevention and early-stage diagnoses may continue to drop and put more lives at risk." For the study, researchers analyzed responses to the National Health Interview Survey, an annual poll conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The team compared cancer screening rates in 2019, before the pandemic, to those in 2021 during the pandemic and in 2023 after the end of the global health crisis. Results show that breast and colon cancer screenings in 2023 exceeded 2019 levels by 7% and 12% respectively, due to sharp increases toward the end of the pandemic. Meanwhile, cervical cancer screening in 2023 remained 14% below 2019 levels, with no change between 2021 and 2023, researchers found. "The persistent decline in cervical cancer screening may in part reflect longer-term declines in patient knowledge and clinicians recommending the test," Star said. "It's imperative that we continue to advocate for returns to cervical cancer screening and efforts must also address the widening disparities in all cancer screenings by socioeconomic status." In addition, the rebound in screening for breast and colon cancers occurred mainly among people who make more money, have higher education and are either privately insured or Medicare recipients, researchers found. "Health systems and health care professionals could play a major role by improving screening communications and providing patient navigators to help address structural and cost barriers," researchers concluded in the study. More information The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on cancer screening tests. Copyright © 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
