According to the American Cancer Society, adults should start getting colonoscopies at age 45. That number was lowered from 50 in previous years. The recommended age for referral for Black Americans can be 5 years earlier.

“Cases of colon cancer are on the rise,” said Janice Rafferty, MD, colon surgeon at The Christ Hospital Health Network. “The reason for younger people being diagnosed is not completely clear. Better access to colonoscopies and patients paying more attention to their bowel habits are two factors that could be reasons for an increase.”

A colonoscopy takes between 30-60 minutes with a post-procedure recovery of 2-3 hours and can be easy to schedule through a primary care provider. Dr. Rafferty says knowing your family history, monitoring your bowel habits and early detection is key to beating colon cancer.

“No matter what your age is, please take your body, and the signs it is sending you, seriously.”

About The Christ Hospital Health Network

The Christ Hospital Health Network consists of an acute care hospital located in Mt. Auburn, a remote hospital location in Liberty Township, five ambulatory outpatient centers and dozens of medical offices throughout the region. For more than 130 years, The Christ Hospital has provided compassionate care to those it serves. Made up for more than 1,300 physicians and more than 6,500 team members, our mission is to improve the health of our community by providing exceptional outcomes in an affordable way. The Network was recognized by U.S. News & World Report as the #1 hospital in the Cincinnati Region and named to Newsweek’s World’s Best Hospitals list in 2023. It is also a Press Ganey Guardian of Excellence Award recipient, which recognizes top-performing healthcare organizations that achieve the 95th percentile or above of performance in patient experience.