VOA慢速英语2020 人们何时应该做结肠癌检查?（在线收听）

When Should People Get a Colon Cancer Exam?

人们何时应该做结肠癌检查？

A group of health experts wants adults to start getting tested for colon cancer at age 45. That is five years younger than the age it formerly recommended for colon cancer screenings.

一组健康专家希望成年人从45岁开始做结肠癌检查。这比此前建议的结肠癌筛查年龄小了5岁。

Screening is a medical term. It means the act of doing a test on a person to look for evidence of a disease or health problem.

筛查是医学术语。指给人做检查以寻找疾病或健康问题证据的行为。

In the United States, colon cancer rates have been falling in recent years. But the recent screening proposal, released by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, shows that experts are concerned about rising colon cancer rates in people under the age of 50.

近年来，美国的结肠癌发病率一直在下降。但美国预防服务工作小组最近发布的筛查建议显示，专家担心50岁以下人群的结肠癌发病率上升。

Alex Krist is a family doctor at Virginia Commonwealth University and a member of the Preventive Services Task Force. He spoke to The Associated Press.

亚历克斯·克里斯特是弗吉尼亚联邦大学的家庭医生，也是美国预防服务工作小组的成员。他接受了美联社的采访。

"We've seen more data showing that younger people are getting colon cancer at higher rates," Krist said. "Basically, a 45-year-old today has the same risk of getting colon cancer as a 50-year-old from years past."

克里斯特表示，“我们看到有更多数据表明，年轻人患结肠癌的几率更高。基本上，现在45岁人群患结肠癌的风险与过去50岁人群相同。”

The Preventive Services Task Force is a volunteer group of doctors. They study evidence and offer recommendations about medical tests and treatments.

预防服务工作小组是由医生组成的志愿组织。他们研究证据，并为医学检查和治疗提供建议。

The group is suggesting that adults of average risk for colon cancer be screened from ages 45 to 75. How often the tests are done depends on the kind of screening.

该组织建议对45岁至75岁的成年人进行结肠癌平均风险筛查。检查频率取决于筛查类型。

A careful examination of the colon — known as a colonoscopy — is usually done every five to 10 years. Other exams, such as stool-based tests, can be performed every year.

通常每5到10年要进行一次仔细的结肠检查，也就是做一次结肠镜检查。而大便检查等其他检查，每年都可以进行。

"Most people who get colon cancer have no signs, no symptoms and no risks. And so that's why we recommend that everyone get screened," Krist said.

克里斯特表示，“大多数结肠癌患者没有迹象、没有症状，也不具备风险。因此我们建议所有人都接受筛查。”

The task force suggestion on screening is not for people who have colon cancer, polyps or a family history of colon cancer or genetic disorders. All of those conditions can increase their risk.

该工作小组提出的筛查建议不适用于患有结肠癌、息肉或有结肠癌家族史或遗传疾病的人群。所有这些情况都可能增加他们的风险。

Colon cancer, along with rectal cancer, is the third leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. There will be an estimated 148,000 new cases nationwide this year.

结肠癌和直肠癌是美国癌症死亡的第三大死因。据估计，今年美国将新增14.8万例病例。

The Task Force's suggestions are now the same as those from the American Cancer Society. In 2018, the American Cancer Society lowered the screening age from 50 to 45. With the change, doctors should feel at ease recommending colon cancer screens to younger patients, said the cancer group's Robert Smith.

现在，该工作小组的建议与美国癌症协会的建议相同。2018年，美国癌症协会将筛查年龄从50岁降低到45岁。该协会的罗伯特·史密斯表示，随着这一变化，医生可以放心地向年轻患者推荐结肠癌筛查。

Earlier testing would help identify polyps or early cancer in younger patients before the disease requires more aggressive treatment, said Doctor Nancy You. She works at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.

医生南希·尤表示，尽早检查有助于在需要更积极治疗之前，发现年轻患者的息肉或早期癌症。她就职于休斯顿安德森癌症中心。

"We have a lot more treatment options that are less invasive and have better results when we treat cancer at the earlier stages," You said. "That makes a huge difference to our patients."

尤表示，“我们在治疗早期癌症方面有更多治疗选择，这些疗法的侵入性较小，疗效更好。这对患者来说意义重大。”

Experts believe it will still be difficult to screen people for colon cancer. Currently, 1 in 4 people between 50 and 75 have never been tested for the disease. Only about 60 percent of U.S. adults are up to date on their colon cancer screenings, Krist said.

专家认为，给人们进行结肠癌筛查仍会很困难。目前，50岁至75岁人群中有四分之一的人从未接受过这种疾病的筛查。克里斯特表示，只有大约60%的美国成年人及时进行结肠癌筛查。