>Also, a year ago we buried my brother-in-law at age 53. He was diagnosed stage 4 at age 48. DO NOT DELAY your colonoscopy. I think 50 is too late to wait. The

>Also, a year ago we buried my brother-in-law at age 53. He was diagnosed stage 4 at age 48. DO NOT DELAY your colonoscopy. I think 50 is too late to wait. The rate of new colorectal cancer diagnoses has been increasing for those under 50 years old, despite the rate falling for the older population. I don't know if they've narrowed down a major cause. My pet theory is obesity. The usual recommendation to start screening at 50 is for asymptomatic people with no increased risk. If you have symptoms, family history of colorectal cancer, or enough other risk factors[0], bring up screening with your doctor. As somebody else mentioned, you could do fecal occult blood tests (FOBT) or other non-invasive tests if you're worried about colonoscopies. [0]https://www.cancer.org/cancer/colon-rectal-cancer/causes-risks-prevention/risk-factors.html https://www.cancer.org/cancer/colon-rectal-cancer/causes-ris...