US doctors: Colon cancer screening should begin at 45

The new guidelines came after research showed a 51 per cent increase in colo-rectalcancer among people under 50 since 1994, and an accompanying rise in death rates.

Screening for colon cancer should begin earlier, at age 45 instead of 50, due to an uptick in colo-rectal tumours among younger people, the American Cancer Society said on Wednesday.

The new guidelines came after research showed a 51 per cent increase in colo-rectalcancer among people under 50 since 1994, and an accompanying rise in death rates.

"When we began this guideline update, we were initially focused on whether screening should begin earlier in racial sub-groups with higher colo-rectal cancer incidence, which some organisations already recommend," said Richard Wender, chief cancer control officer for the American Cancer Society.

Groups known to suffer disproportionately high rates of colon cancer include African-Americans, Alaska Natives, and American Indians.

"But as we saw data pointing to a persistent trend of increasing colo-rectal cancer incidence in younger adults, including American Cancer Society research that indicated this effect would carry forward with increasing age, we decided to re-evaluate the age to initiate screening in all US adults."

The new guidelines do not specify which kind of test people should get.