(SHREVEPORT, Louisiana) – The recent announcement by Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, about her cancer diagnosis has brought attention to the increase in certain cancers among younger adults and the availability of screenings.

Middleton, 42, said the cancer was discovered after she had abdominal surgery earlier in the year, although the type of cancer was not specified.

“Abdominal cancer can include any cancer such as stomach, colon, ovarian, uterine, cervical or cancer related to the liver,” said Dr. Deepika Ralla, hematologist and oncologist at CHRISTUS Highland Medical Center and Bossier Cancer Center. “The ones with good prognosis are the ones found in earlier stages, usually colon cancer and cervical cancer.”

The U.S. Preventative Services Task Force now recommends adults start getting screened for colorectal cancer at age 45. New cases of colon cancer have been declining among adults 65 and older but have increased 1% to 2% annually in people younger than 55 since the mid-1990s, according to the American Cancer Society.

“For colon cancer, the guidelines have recently changed. Previously it was 50 years old but now it’s 45 because we’re seeing these cancers earlier in a younger age group,” Ralla said. “If somebody has a family history that puts them at risk, then they will have to do the screening earlier.”

Symptoms for cancer in the abdomen can include weight gain, persistent pain, change in the color or consistency of the stool, discomfort such as bloating and an enlarged stomach, Ralla said.

Ralla said it’s important to be specific when talking about cancer in the abdomen.

“Each cancer is different so when we say abdominal cancer, we have to mention the type and avoid the word abdominal,” she said. “Abdominal cancer can be as simple as colon cancer stage 1 or as bad as ovarian cancer stage 4.”

Although colon cancer screening is the most effective cancer screening, Ralla said, it’s still underutilized. March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.

“If someone is highly against colonoscopies, there are stool tests they can do,” she said. “And if someone in your family had cancer early in life and you have genetic syndromes, it’s time to talk to your physician.”