Experts speak on colorectal cancer, recommend screenings at younger ages

By Mylika ScatliffeAFRO Women’s Health Writer Awareness of colorectal cancer might be highlighted during the month of March, but it is never far from Kelli Bagby’s mind.& Her sister, Danielle Bagby succumbed to the disease in 2021.She was 35 years old.“Early diagnosis can make or break the outcome of a colon cancer journey,” said Bagby, of Baltimore.According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends adults aged 45 to 75 be screened for colorectal cancer.The world was dismayed when Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman died from colon cancer on August 28, 2020.& The public’s shock was two-fold since Boseman never spoke publicly about his diagnosis, and he was just 43-years old when he died.& Chadwick Boseman is a recognizable face of colon cancer and a spotlight realization that age has less to do with manifestation of the disease than previously thought. The actor died of colon cancer in August 2020. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) Colorectal cancer is not as common in people younger than age 50 as it is in older individuals, but it is not as uncommon as one might think. According to the American Cancer Society, in 2020 about 12...