Patients in need of a colonoscopy may have to wait months for one

FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) — For the last several years, health care professionals have started to recommend that both men and women at the age of 45 receive a routine colorectal cancer screening. A procedure that will check a person’s colon for any risks of colon cancer and other risks.

“Right now, colorectal cancer is on the rise in young patients, and it’s actually the number one cause of cancer deaths in patients under the age of 50. So this is something that’s alarming. With the advent of colonoscopy, older patients are now seeing colon cancer rates go down because we’re able to find polyps and we’re able to take them out of colons,” said Dr. Kimberly Kolkhorst, Gastroenterologist and Department Chair for Gastroenterology at Essentia.

But due to the shift in recommended age, providers are seeing an increase in the number of people requesting a colonoscopy. And the increase does not fit the number of providers who are available.

“When they decreased the age from 50 to 45, now we’ve got this additional 5-year cohort of patients that are trying to get in, get screening colonoscopies. So I think that’s why nationwide the gastroenterologists are a little bit backed up,” said Kolkhorst.

At Sanford, patients are being told that the wait for a colonoscopy is about 14 months. While Essentia has added Saturday as another day to do their screenings, the wait time is only 2 months.

“Once we get caught up with all those patients that just came in from that five-year gap, once they’re all done, then I do think that things will start to settle down a little bit,” said Kolkhorst.

The American Cancer Society says colon cancer is expected to cause more than 55,000 deaths nationwide in 2026.