Risk

When screening starts earlier: radiotherapy and bowel disease

Radiotherapy in childhood or as a young adult

If you had radiotherapy to your abdomen or pelvis as a child, teenager or young adult, you will usually need colorectal screening earlier than the general population. The Children’s Oncology Group long-term follow-up guidelines give the details; talk to your physician or oncologist about when your screening should start and how often to repeat it.

Radiotherapy to the chest at a young age can also mean earlier breast screening, usually with MRI as well as mammography.

Inflammatory bowel disease

Inflammatory bowel disease includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. When the disease is long-standing and affects a large part of the colon, the risk of bowel cancer is higher than in the general population. Surveillance colonoscopy is usually recommended about 8 years after symptoms began, and then every 1 to 3 years depending on your risk.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) does not raise the risk. People with IBS should follow the general screening guidelines.

This article gives general information and doesn’t replace advice from your physician. Want to know which screenings apply to you? Take the ScreenMe questionnaire.