“Folks at larger threat [due to] household historical past or signs ought to have [a] colonoscopy,” Ness stated. However if you happen to’re 45 or older with no threat elements, and also you’re avoiding getting screened due to worry of colonoscopies or points with the prep, you do produce other screening choices, together with fecal checks and CT scans.“An important factor is to get your screening if you happen to’re within the screening age,” Ness stated. “The largest drawback proper now… is that we’re solely at about 70% of the at-risk inhabitants screened, which signifies that 30% isn’t. And we’ve proven that we will lower colorectal most cancers mortality by a minimum of 50% with lively screening.”And as famous above, colorectal most cancers charges in younger individuals are rising. Simply because the rules say you may wait till you’re 45 to get screened for colorectal most cancers, that doesn’t imply it’s best to.“One thing has occurred, it’s clear that there’s an upward development … The curve goes up because the Fifties,” Macaron defined. “And if you take a look at numbers, those that had been born within the Nineties have twice as excessive the chance of colon most cancers, 4 instances as excessive the chance of rectal most cancers in comparison with those that had been born within the Fifties.”So, it’s essential to take household historical past, private well being historical past and signs critically. You probably have any considerations, irrespective of how small they could appear, don’t be afraid to ask your physician a couple of colonoscopy.As you wait on your appointment, although, it’s essential to not panic. The signs highlighted above don’t definitively imply you might have colon most cancers, however they “could possibly be an indication that one thing is happening that may warrant a colonoscopy, and a kind of issues could possibly be that colon most cancers is the reason for that symptom change,” Dueker stated.Being on high of your well being is rarely a foul thought. At minimal, it will probably make it easier to get in command of any bothersome signs. And in some instances, it simply may save your life.“Colorectal most cancers is preventable,” Ness stated, “so please avail your self of the obtainable testing to search out it early and to take away the polyps that turn out to be most cancers earlier than they’ve an opportunity to take action.”This text initially appeared on HuffPost.