@ams5796 – I’m sorry to learn of your illness. But wouldn’t it be better to advocate for routine annual FOBT testing starting at a younger age? (rather than colonoscopy) Statistics show that the gFOBT or FIT are only marginally less likely to identify early stage cancer than a colonoscopy – ( see
http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/you-could-skip-your-colonoscopy-if-youre-willing-to-collect-your-poop/ and charts at http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=2529486#ClinicalConsiderations ) – and the FIT test is also inexpensive & no potential of any adverse side effects. So I could see it as very feasible for doctors to advocate - and insurers to pay for, an annual at-home screening that costs less than $30 starting age 35 or 40 … whereas the expense and risk associated with colonoscopy for younger people might be a much harder sell.
I mean – when you mentioned a concern to your doctor at age 48, an FOBT was ordered and the test had a positive result that led to followup. If that FOBT had been part of routine screening when you were age 40… perhaps your own outcome would have been different.