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Colon cancer becoming a more frequent diagnosis for younger people

Dress in Blue Day is to raise awareness and encourage screenings for colorectal cancer.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — On March 5, you may see many people wearing blue to raise awareness for colorectal cancers. Colon cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States - and it has hit Kentucky especially hard.

According to UofL Health, 2,600 new cases are diagnosed every year. Baptist Health said Kentucky's mortality rate due to colon cancer is one of the highest, killing nearly 900 people across the state every year.

As of 2018, only 70% of people in Kentucky over the age of 50 get screened for colon cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. In Indiana, that number drops to 68%.

Doctors recommend getting screened for colon cancer starting at age 45, but if you have a family history, you should start earlier. The recommendation is to start screenings in your early 20s and get one every two years.

"We just encourage everyone to not let this insidious disease that can stay medically quiet for a long time...take you by surprise," said Dr. Russ Farmer with UofL Health.

Colon cancer isn't just a concern for the older generation - younger people are also getting diagnosed more often. Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman, who passed away from the disease last year, is just one example.

RELATED: 'I kept asking, they said I was too young' | The risks of colon cancer

Experts say that someone born in 1990 has double the risk of colon cancer and quadruple the risk of rectal cancer compared to someone born in 1950. While Boseman's death raised awareness of colon cancer in younger people, screenings are still down due to the coronavirus pandemic.

If you aren't comfortable going to see a doctor in-person, there are at-home screening options available.

    

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