March is colorectal cancer awareness month. According to the American Cancer Society, nearly double the number of young adults under 55 are being diagnosed with colorectal cancer. And while it’s a highly treatable cancer, many people will not have symptoms in the early stages of colorectal cancer. So, when should regular screening begin? And what measures can we take to lower our risk for colon cancer? What do we need to know about the latest research on a blood test for colon cacner screening? We spoke to Jaydeep Bhat, MD, MPH, gastroenterologist, and physician lead for resource stewardship at The Southeast Permanente Medical Group, Kaiser Permanente Georgia, about what puts someone at a higher risk for colorectal cancer, the various screening tests available, questions we should ask our primary care doctors, and small and actionable lifestyle changes we can make to reduce our risk.

<p class="react-spectrum-RichTextEditor-paragraph">March is <a class="react-spectrum-RichTextEditor-link" href="https://www.webmd.com/colorectal-cancer/colorectal-polyps-cancer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">colorectal cancer</a> awareness month. According to the American Cancer Society, nearly double the number of young adults under 55 are being diagnosed with colorectal cancer. And while it’s a highly treatable cancer, many people will not have symptoms in the early stages of colorectal cancer. So, when should regular <a class="react-spectrum-RichTextEditor-link" href="https://www.webmd.com/colorectal-cancer/colon-cancer-screening-guidelines" target="_blank" rel="noopener">screening </a>begin? And what measures can we take to lower our <a class="react-spectrum-RichTextEditor-link" href="https://www.webmd.com/colorectal-cancer/risk-factors-colorectal-cancer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">risk for colon cancer</a>? What do we need to know about the latest research on a blood test for colon cacner screening? We spoke to Jaydeep Bhat, MD, MPH, gastroenterologist, and physician lead for resource stewardship at The Southeast Permanente Medical Group, Kaiser Permanente Georgia, about what puts someone at a higher risk for colorectal cancer, the various screening tests available, questions we should ask our primary care doctors, and small and actionable lifestyle changes we can make to reduce our risk.</p>

WebMD Chief Physician Editor Neha Pathak, MD, and Chief Medical Officer, John Whyte, MD, MPH, explore fascinating stories to find the unexpected things that help us understand our health.

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March is  awareness month. According to the American Cancer Society, nearly double the number of young adults under 55 are being diagnosed with colorectal cancer. And while it’s a highly treatable cancer, many people will not have symptoms...

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