Smokers and people with significant exposure to secondhand smoke should start getting screened for colon cancer (colonoscopy) five to 10 years earlier than the current recommended age of 50 according to a recent study. I recommend that if you are a smoker and if you smoke in a house with others, that all should have a colonoscopy at age 40.

Researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York analyzed the cases of 3,450 colon cancer patients and found that current smokers were diagnosed with the cancer an average of 6.8 years earlier than people who never smoked, while former smokers who'd quit less than five years before were diagnosed 4.3 years earlier than people who never smoked. People who'd quit more than five years before were the same as never-smokers. People who started smoking before age 17 and those who were heavy smokers (one pack or more a day) were most likely to be diagnosed with colon cancer at a younger age. The study also found that people exposed to secondhand smoke, especially early in life, tended to be younger when they were diagnosed with colon cancer.

Now, PLEASE, do not freak out! One of the responses that I encounter frequently is how this is “conspiracy” to scae smokers and it’s not true. WRONG! Hey, I am on your side but burying your head in the sand is NOT productive. You smoke for whatever reason. This is a risk factor for colon cancer. We can treat colon cancer if it is detected early on. Do NOT miss the opportunity to have a potentially malignat lesion sniped out versus waiting until you have full blown colon cancer, surgery and a possibly seriously shortened life.