Doctors Flag Five Bowel Symptoms as Push Grows to Catch Cancer Earlier in Younger Adults

Routine screening now begins at 45 in the U.S., reflecting efforts to find colorectal cancers at more treatable stages.

Overview

American Cancer Society figures show 45% of new colorectal cancer cases now occur in adults under 65, and the disease is the leading cause of cancer deaths in people under 50.
Experts urge patients to report five warning signs without delay: blood in the stool, persistent changes in bowel habits, abdominal pain, bloating, and unexplained weight loss.
Clinicians warn that symptoms are often mistaken for haemorrhoids or irritable bowel syndrome, contributing to diagnostic delays and more advanced disease at presentation in younger patients.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force lowered the start age for routine screening to 45 in 2021, and people under that age with symptoms or added risk should seek medical evaluation.
Primary screening relies on at-home FIT stool tests with colonoscopy or CT if positive, and the NHS mails FIT kits every two years to people aged 50 to 74 to catch disease earlier and improve outcomes.