Overview
- Specialists warn that persistent bowel-habit changes and blood in the stool are often misattributed to benign issues, delaying diagnosis.
- Colonoscopy remains the most effective test to find early tumors and remove polyps, with five-year survival exceeding 90% when cancer is caught early.
- In Peru, routine screening is still commonly advised from age 50, even as some international guidance now recommends starting before 45 due to rising cases in younger adults.
- Globally there are about 1.9 million new colorectal cancer cases and nearly one million deaths annually, with Peru reporting roughly 4,600 cases and over 2,600 deaths each year.
- Experts say more than half of cases could be prevented through lifestyle changes—healthy diet, physical activity, weight control, and limiting alcohol and tobacco—along with timely screening.