Earlier Screening Could Save Many From Colorectal Cancer, Research Suggests

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Every day 400 Americans are diagnosed with colorectal cancer, the second leading cause of cancer death in the U.S.

Many of those deaths could be prevented if everyone was screened beginning at the age of 50.

As CBS2's Dr. Max Gomez reported, some people need to be screened much earlier to save their lives.

Nancy Rosen has a family history of colon cancer, so it wasn't a surprise when she was diagnosed at age 54.

What she didn't know was that her high risk was caused by Lynch Syndrome, a genetic condition that prevents her from properly repairing damaged DNA.

"Knowing I have Lynch Syndrome allows me to act proactively to hopefully prevent getting another recurrence of cancer," she said.

Nancy became aware of her Lynch syndrome thanks to a novel screening program at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Researchers there conducted tumor screenings on more than 3,000 patients diagnosed with early colon cancer and found that one in six of them had Lynch Syndrome which meant that their relatives might also have the condition.

"We're learning that at least one out of every thirty-five colorectal cancer patients has Lynch Syndrome and most of them don't know it," Heather Hampel explained.

In a newly published report, researchers found that those patients have genetic flaws that raise the lifetime risk of colorectal in other family members to as much as 80 percent.

But because those relatives did not know of their risk for Lynch Syndrome they were not getting the screening that could save their lives.

Nancy's son Michael plans to use his new knowledge to stay healthy.

"I'm grateful that I know now, before I would have never gotten a colonoscopy. I would have no idea I'm at great risk," Lynch Syndrome patient, Michael Greene said.

"It's critically important to find out young so that you can start those screenings at the right age, and do them at the right frequency and we can prevent these individuals from getting cancer in the first place," Hampel said.

The average age of colon cancer diagnosis in the general population is 72, but for Lynch Syndrome patients it's 45. That's why screening guidelines that start at age 50 are inadequate for those patients.

Anyone with a family history of early colon cancer should be tested for Lynch Syndrome and start screening much sooner.