Many colorectal cancer patients are younger than the recommended screening age

In a recent analysis of US data, one in seven colorectal patients was younger than 50 years old, the recommended age to begin screening. Younger patients were more likely to be diagnosed with advanced stage disease; however, they received more aggressive therapy and lived longer without a cancer recurrence, suggesting some compensation for their later diagnosis. Published early online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the findings raise questions concerning how y...