More people under 40 getting colorectal cancer: should Quebec offer screenings?

The number of Quebecers under the age of 40 being diagnosed with colorectal cancer is increasing quickly, according to experts in the field.

"The fastest-growing segment of the population that gets colon cancer or rectal cancer is between 28 and 39 years old for an unexplained reason," said Barry Stein, president and CEO of Colorectal Cancer Canada.

Despite this, the Quebec Health Ministry recently announced it would be offering quicker and easier access to fecal immunochemical tests (FIT), which detect colon cancer, only to people aged 50 to 74.

Dr. Alan Barkun, president of the colorectal cancer screening implementation committee in Quebec, explains that, though more young people are developing colorectal cancer, this statistic cannot stand alone, ignoring other age groups.

"People over 50, 70 are at significantly higher risk of developing colon cancer than younger people," Barkun tells CTV News. "It's just in addition to the usual 50 to 74 range and so on, we now have concerns for younger people."

The Quebec Health Ministry says its decision to deploy its Quebec colorectal cancer screening program (PQDCCR) only to people aged 50 to 74 is the first step towards a "structured program roll-out."

"Access to the screening program is based on the national medical protocol produced by the Institut national d'excellence en santé et en services sociaux (INESSS)," explains Francis Martel, a media relations officer with the Quebec Health Ministry. "The Programme québécois de cancérologie remains on the lookout for new recommendations on cancer screening and could, therefore, be extended to other age groups if necessary."

Barkun adds Quebec is following guidelines set across the world to not lower the age of regular screenings for otherwise healthy younger people.

"Is it sufficient enough for the guidelines to be changed?" he asks, adding the number of tests and doctors available to do the analyses also limit how many people can be screened. "Nowhere in Canada has anyone lowered screening for colon cancer, and it's the same in the entire world except the United States [where it is at age 45]."

Second-leading cause of cancer deaths

In Quebec, anywhere between 6,000 to 6,500 people will receive a colorectal cancer diagnosis, according to Colorectal Cancer Canada.

Of that number, about 3,500 will die, making it the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the province.

The government says this is why it wants to increase the number of people screened each year -- to detect the cancer before symptoms appear.

Some signs of colorectal cancer include blood in stool, anemia and abdominal cramping.

"What we want to do is get as many people to use these tests as possible so we can reduce the incidence of colorectal cancer by about 15 per cent," notes Stein. "To do that, we need participation of about 60 per cent."

He says participation currently stands at 40 per cent.

Stein points out that, unlike breast cancer, where women receive reminders for their mammograms, the onus is on an individual and their physician to take the initiative to book a colorectal cancer screening.

The Health Ministry notes that living a healthy, active lifestyle and reducing smoking, as well as the consumption of alcohol and processed meats, can help prevent colorectal cancer.

To be screened for colorectal cancer, Quebecers aged 50 to 74 are invited to book an appointment on the Clic Santé website.

Anyone outside of that age group who may have concerns is asked to speak with their physician.