The standard age recommended for colon cancer screening is 50 years; however, the new emergence of young people with colon cancer makes it important for the medical community to be aware that gastrointestinal (GI) complaints could indicate cancer, and to screen younger people accordingly, says John Marshall, MD. 

Marshall, who is chief of the Division of Hematology/Oncology at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, professor of medicine and oncology at the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center at Georgetown University, and director of the Otto J. Ruesch Center for the Cure of Gastrointestinal Cancer, says that "culturally, we have been taught that [GI bleeding or abdominal pain] can't be cancer."

"All of us health care providers need to be aware that bleeding, or abdominal symptoms in young peopl

be colon cancer," he adds. "Our standard suspicions need to be thrown out, and we need to relearn this: Young people with GI complaints, even the very fit, need to be screened for colon cancer."

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John Marshall, MD, explains that health care providers need to retool their thinking when young people present with GI complaints, and be open to the possibility that these could indicate colon cancer.
 

Young People with GI Complaints Should Be Screened for Colon Cancer

John Marshall, MD, chief of the Division of Hematology/Oncology at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, professor of medicine and oncology at the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center at Georgetown University, and director of the Otto J. Ruesch Center for the Cure of Gastrointestinal Cancer, explains the role of nurses in screening for colon cancer.

Nurses can help identify symptoms like gastrointestinal bleeding, abdominal upset, unexplained weight loss, or change in stool habits, and they should counsel patients around screening, he says. They should be also counsel the patient around the various ways that screening is done, for example, colonoscopy, stool testing, or gene testing. 

"Nurses have a more human side to them than many physicians," Marshall said. "The whole process of screening for colon cancer is a little nasty. Either the bowel prep, collecting or handling stool is not very much fun. Nurses have a way of doing all of that stuff without even noticing. They can help coach us and push us along to do the steps that are needed to get good screening." 

Nurses can help coach and push patients and their physicians along to do the steps that are needed to get good screening, says John Marshall, MD.

John Marshall, MD

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Young People with GI Complaints Should Be Screened for Colon Cancer

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