Overview
- Large nationwide surveys in India of about 10,000 adults across 14 cities found more than 80% self-medicate for gastric issues and most do not recognize blood in stool as a warning sign.
- Health agencies recommend routine colorectal screening begin at age 45 for average-risk adults, with earlier testing for people with a family history or other risk factors.
- Doctors emphasize colonoscopy as the most effective test because it can find and remove polyps before they turn into cancer.
- Clinicians report more cases in people in their 20s to 40s, and the American Cancer Society now lists colorectal cancer as the leading cause of cancer death in people under 50.
- IARC data show India records about 65,000 new colorectal cancer cases and more than 38,000 deaths each year, underscoring the need for awareness and timely care.