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feature

Give Your Loved One a

Colonoscopy

ooking for a unique gift idea The recommendation was noscopy but can be one of a number
for a beloved 45-year-old? prompted by statistics that showed of other tests, such as a home stool
How about a colonoscopy? a significant rise in colon and rectal test.
It will soon be a year cancers among younger adults. It’s “Cologuard is a noninvasive
Lsince the American Cancer a trend that Trinity Health gastroen- screening test that is effective and
Society (ACS) updated its guidelines terologists Edmundo Justino, MD, and can be performed at home,” Dr.
for colorectal cancer screening – Ira Paul Michaelson, MD, have also Justino said. “It’s recommended for
recommending that adults at average observed. people without any increased risk of
risk of colorectal cancer start regular “Over the past few years, nation- colorectal cancer or polyps. It isn’t
screening at age 45 instead of age 50. wide, it turned out we were finding recommended for people to do have
cancers in people of much younger a family history of cancer or polyps.”
age,” Dr. Justino said. Of course, the advantage of a
“I’ve certainly seen people below colonoscopy is that pre-cancerous le-
50 – and as young as their twenties sions called polyps can be removed at
– with colon cancer,” Dr. Michaelson the moment they are spotted, which
added. “It’s frightening.” means the exam can actually prevent
The gold standard for colorec- cancer.
tal cancer screening is colonoscopy,
which can be a problem for some
younger adults who would like to take
the new recommendation to heart.
Insurance providers aren’t required
by law to cover colonoscopies before
the age of 50, so younger people in
their mid-40s who would like to abide
by the new guidelines might have to
foot the bill themselves.
Of course, there are less costly
screening methods. The ACS says
Edmundo Justino, MD, screening doesn’t have to be a colo-

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