What is the average age for bowel cancer

Young-onset colon cancer is most common in the distal colon, the part of the colon right before the rectum, and often presents at an advanced stage. Physician-related delays have been estimated to occur in 15 to 50 percent of young-onset cases because of missed symptoms or misdiagnosis. The best decision that you can make is to educate yourself and your family about the risk of colon cancer and to know that you are never too young.

Colon cancer is not bound by specific ages, so statistics only provide basic guidelines for conclusions and recommendations. This important tool helps your doctor target your appropriate age for baseline screening and opens up conversation about colon screenings. The more comfortable you are talking with your doctor, the less reluctant you will be when the time comes to have your initial colonoscopy.

Ongoing dialogue about colonoscopies and colon screenings is essential because there can be a great deal of uncertainty regarding an initial colonoscopy. Research shows that compliance in getting a colonoscopy is considerably lower in the 45 to 59 age group than the 70 to 79 age group. Therefore, we need to educate ourselves and our family members about the benefits of regular colonoscopies and the basics of the preparation and the procedure. Talk to your doctor about when you should have your first colon screening.

The death rate the number of deaths per , people per year from colorectal cancer has been dropping in both men and women for several decades. There are a number of likely reasons for this.

One reason is that colorectal polyps are now being found more often by screening and removed before they can develop into cancers, or cancers are being found earlier when they are easier to treat. In addition, treatments for colorectal cancer have improved over the last few decades. As a result, there are now more than 1. For patients with sporadic young adult—onset bowel cancer, extra-colonic screening and bowel cancer surveillance intervals are the same as for patients with older adult—onset bowel cancer.

Symptom diary. Bowel Cancer Australia has created a simple downloadable two-week Know the Symptoms diary to help track changes which may be suggestive of bowel cancer.

If symptoms persist beyond that time, people are encouraged to contact their GP and take the Symptom Diary with them to their appointment to use as an aid when sharing their concerns. Specialists around the world agree that symptom awareness is critical in order to improve earlier detection, when 90 percent of bowel cancer cases can be successfully treated. Peer-to-Peer Support and sharing lived experiences.

Bowel Cancer Australia is fortunate to have a very active community of young people living with or beyond bowel cancer, and their loved ones.

Many young bowel cancer patients say that they can feel quite alone and isolated when first diagnosed with bowel cancer and during their bowel cancer journey. Often because there is a common misconception in the community that bowel cancer only affects older people and also because many of the other bowel cancer patients they encounter during treatment are older. Parents with young children, people just starting out in their career, singles, university students and newly-weds — younger bowel cancer patients can quite often be in a different life stage to those diagnosed at an older age.

Having a child diagnosed with bowel cancer can also be very difficult. The ability to talk with others who know what you are going through can be very helpful, and that is what Bowel Cancer Australia's Peer-to-Peer Network is all about — connecting people living with or beyond bowel cancer and loved ones with others in a similar situation.

Sharing your story and experiences to raise awareness and help others is also a big part of Bowel Cancer Australia's Peer-to-Peer Network.

Never assume: young-onset bowel cancer survey. Mainstream support services, awareness programs and resources can often be aimed at older people, leaving young-onset bowel cancer patients feeling that their needs are not being met.

Bowel Cancer Australia is different. We champion what matters most to people living with or beyond bowel cancer, making real change happen across the entire continuum of care. Including patients diagnosed with the disease under the age of 50, and their loved ones. The experiences of both young patients and their loved ones is important, so there are two different surveys available.

The Loved One Survey includes questions specific to caregivers, as well as an added option to complete the Patient Survey on behalf of a young loved one who has passed away. The survey will take no more than 15 minutes of your time, but it will make a big difference to shaping the future of prevention, early diagnosis, research, quality treatment and the best care for young Australians affected by bowel cancer.

Help bring young-onset bowel cancer to the forefront of the conversation. You have the ability to get people talking. So please get on board for this dedicated campaign, share your story and advice to other young people, raise funds and encourage others to do the same!

The Never2Young initiative was first launched by the Never Too Young Coalition - a group of medical professionals, patient advocacy organisations, cancer survivors and caregivers working to educate the public about the growing issue of bowel cancer diagnoses in younger people and reduce the number of late stage young-onset cases.

Founded by the Colon Cancer Alliance , the Coalition brought together like-minded organisations from the United States of America, United Kingdom and Bowel Cancer Australia - with an aim to help address the rise in bowel cancer diagnoses and mortality rates in younger people.