Class of 2024 MD program graduate Pierce Claassen, MD, is working to raise awareness for rising rates of colorectal cancer in younger adults and highlighting the importance of screening for at-risk groups.
Dr. Claassen, who hails from Clarkston, Washington, and is currently continuing his training in internal medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona, spoke with Moscow-Pullman Daily News about who is most at risk and what screening options are available.
“If you do have a personal or family history of inflammatory bowel disease or colorectal cancer, you should get screened earlier, and that is a decision that you should make with your doctor,” Dr. Claassen told the newspaper.
Colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancers in the U.S., but also one of the most preventable if detected early. Screening through colonoscopy or other methods is recommended to start at age 45 or sooner for those with certain risk factors.