{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Radio Chatskill","title":"James Van Der Beek’s Death Highlights Rise in Colorectal Cancer Among Adults Under 50, Doctors Urge Earlier Screening","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":520,"description":"The recent death of actor James Van Der Beek has renewed attention on a troubling health trend: colorectal cancer is rising among younger adults.Colorectal cancer — cancer that develops in the large intestine, including the colon and rectum — was once considered primarily a disease affecting people over 50. But doctors say that’s no longer the case.“Colorectal cancer is becoming an increasingly common cancer in patients under 50, which is a new trend we’ve seen over the last 10 to 15 years,” said Dr. Brian Kleinman, a board-certified gastroenterologist and internist at Crystal Run Healthcare. “And so it’s very important because of this increase that we make people aware of it as well as provide more information about screening recommendations.”A significant shift in who’s at riskThe rise in diagnoses among younger adults has been steady — and concerning.“This trend is pretty significant,” Kleinman said. “About four to five years ago now we saw the national screening recommendations change where the recommendations used to be to start routine colonoscopies at age 50.”Those guidelines were lowered to 45. But even that may not fully address what doctors are seeing.“And even since that time we’ve seen patients in their early 40s that are developing advanced polyps and colorectal cancer,” he said. “And so there’s been about 2.9% increase per year over the last like 10 years or so that we’ve seen in people under 50.”Researchers are still working to understand why. Kleinman points to several possible contributors: diets lower in fiber and fruits and vegetables, higher consumption of processed and ultra-processed foods, obesity, alcohol use and tobacco. Scientists are also studying whether changes in the gut microbiome — the bacteria that live in the digestive tract — may play a role.Why colonoscopy remains the “gold standard”As awareness grows, so does the need for screening. Colonoscopy remains the most reliable test.During the procedure, “a thin flexible camera with a...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/q7XXsnSXT_u4mZLCn3chUorwDmUD_kWiB272D6emB18/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS80N2Uy/OGY5MWUwZThkYTEw/NDVkZGM2ZGZkZDIw/ZjliOS5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}