Canadian Cancer Society urges lowering colorectal cancer screening age to 45

The Canadian Cancer Society wants all provinces and territories Wednesday to lower the colorectal cancer screening age to 45 from 50.

It said people under 50-years-old are two-to-2.5 times more likely to be diagnosed with colorectal cancer than they were in previous generations.

Currently, people across the country without specific risk factors aren’t eligible for routine screening until age 50.

The society says people under that age are twice as likely to be diagnosed with colorectal cancer than they were in previous generations.

The society also says by the time many are diagnosed, the cancer has progressed to later stages and is more difficult to treat with a lower survival rate.

With files from The Canadian Press.

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