Recent news about the passing of actor James Van Der Beek at age 48 from colorectal cancer came shortly after the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) released an alarming new statistic: colorectal cancer is now the leading cause of cancer deaths in people under age 50.
Unfortunately, despite the increase in colorectal cancer diagnoses and deaths, many adults between ages 45 and 50 are still not getting screened.
Patients May Not Know the Warning Signs
One reason colorectal cancer is so deadly in younger adults is that it is often caught late. Many people under 50 think colorectal cancer wouldn’t affect them, leading them to overlook early symptoms like abdominal pain, blood in the stool, constipation, diarrhea, decreased appetite, and unexplained weight loss.
As the front line of patient care, primary care physicians play a vital role in the fight against colorectal cancer. You can help patients prevent a late-stage diagnosis by talking about early warning signs and emphasizing the importance of getting screened at 45 for patients at average risk or earlier for patients with a family history, symptoms, or diseases such as IBD.
Colonoscopy is The Gold Standard for Colon Cancer Screening
The American Cancer Society, U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, and American College of Gastroenterology all recommend that people start regular colorectal cancer screening at age 45.
Colonoscopy is the gold standard screening because it’s the only test that can both detect early cancer and prevent cancer from developing. During the procedure, a doctor will look at the entire colon, find precancerous polyps, and remove them right away. This stops cancer before it has a chance to grow.
Why not Cologuard?
Cologuard® is an at-home stool-based test that can help detect cancer. However, 42% of patients with advanced precancerous polyps have a negative test. Cologuard® also has a false positive rate of 13%, and a false negative rate of 8%. Patients who get a positive result from one of these tests still need to have a colonoscopy.
Cologuard® is also not appropriate for patients with a family history of colon cancer, prior history of polyps, or who have certain medical conditions such as IBD.
Refer Your Patients to a Board-Certified Gastroenterologist
Timely referrals for patients who are due or overdue for a colonoscopy are one of the most impactful steps you can take for your patients. Gastroenterologists are the preferred choice over surgeons for referrals. Gastroenterologists perform a significantly higher volume of colonoscopies, which translates to better clinical outcomes. Specifically, colonoscopies performed by gastroenterologists are associated with a reduced risk of developing colon cancer and a higher likelihood of meeting quality benchmarks.
High Quality Data, High Quality Care
All GI locations at The Oregon Clinic track quality data for every outpatient colonoscopy we perform, and we consistently outperform national averages across nearly every measure. In 2025, our combined adenoma detection rate (ADR) for patients ages 45 to 75 was 56% on screening colonoscopy, compared to a national average of 45%. Our average withdrawal time was 9 minutes and 46 seconds, above the national average of 8 minutes and 42 seconds. A higher ADR and longer withdrawal time mean more polyps are found and removed before they can become cancer.
Our complication rates also reflect a strong commitment to patient safety. In 2025, post-polypectomy bleeding occurred in just 0.05% of procedures (benchmark: less than 1%), perforations in 0.00% (benchmark: less than 0.2%), and aspiration in 0.05% (benchmark: less than 0.1%). When you refer a patient to our GI team, you can be confident they are in experienced, high-quality hands.
A Team Approach to Colon Cancer Care
When cancer is found during a screening colonoscopy, or a patient comes in with concerning symptoms, having the right team of specialists in place makes all the difference.
The board-certified gastroenterologists and fellowship trained colorectal surgeons at The Oregon Clinic work in close collaboration to ensure patients who are diagnosed with colon cancer benefit from the most advanced techniques for diagnostics, minimally invasive surgery, and personalized disease management.
Partnering with Primary Care to Ensure Patients Get the Best Test
As the front line of patient care, primary care physicians play a vital role in the fight against colorectal cancer.
Our gastroenterology team is ready to partner with you to close screening gaps, streamline the referral process, and ensure your patients receive the right screening at the right time.
Together, we can catch this disease earlier and save more lives.