Hershey

Colorectal cancer is not just your dad's disease

Even millennials could be at elevated risk

HERSHEY, Pa. — The stereotype of the colon cancer patient is middle aged and male. That’s who testing has been primarily aimed at in the past, but statistics show that women are almost equally at risk, as well as people well under the target screening age of 50.

In fact, there has been an uptick in colorectal cancer among younger Americans for factors that science doesn’t completely understand yet, but may relate to dietary habits, processed foods and ethnicity.

March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, and the Penn State Cancer Institute is reminding people that early detection is key to beating colorectal cancer. Young people may not even consider getting screened unless they know the warning signs of the disease. Learn more in this 30-second video from the Cancer Institute and contact your physician immediately if you notice any symptoms.

Penn State Endoscopy can be reached at 717-531-8364.

Last Updated March 21, 2018

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