If a patient is diagnosed with colorectal cancer before age 50, they have a better “survival advantage” over people who are diagnosed between ages 51 and 55, according to research.

A 2021 study published in JAMA Network Open analyzed data from 769,871 people diagnosed with colorectal cancer. The results showed that people who were diagnosed with stage I and II colorectal cancer at ages 35 through 39 had the best outcomes.

The study’s authors said the results clearly showed the potentially life-saving benefit of early screening for colorectal cancer.

Typically, if someone has colon cancer at a younger age, it’s logical to assume that they would have a worse outcome, according to Anton Bilchik, MD, PhD, chief of medicine at Saint John’s Cancer Institute at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California.

However, the study results proved otherwise.

“What this study suggests is that, if you present at a younger age, if it’s detected at an early stage, your survival is actually better,” said Bilchik, adding that this finding “reinforces the need to screen at a younger age.”

Current guidelines recommend that all adults should start getting screened for colorectal cancer starting at age 45.

People who are under age 45 are still at risk of developing colorectal cancer, said Joshua Meyer, MD, vice-chair of translational research in the Department of Radiation Oncology at Fox Chase Cancer Center.

“Just because the screening age may start at 45 does not mean that younger people are not at risk,” Meyer added. “Even if that risk does not rise to the level that makes screening an appropriate step.”

No matter your age, you should pay attention to unusual symptoms. “If a person in their 20s, 30s or 40s has persistent rectal bleeding, change in bowel habits, or abdominal or pelvic pain that persists, they should discuss further workup with their doctor, including a possible colonoscopy,” Meyer said.

While the recommended screening age is 45 right now, Bilchik said the question is whether the recommended age should be even younger, given the rise in early-onset cases.