Smokers are more likely to be diagnosed with colorectal cancer at a younger age than nonsmokers, according to researchers.

Cancer Consultants reported Feb. 22 that researchers who studied colorectal-cancer patients found that long-term heavy smokers were diagnosed at an average age of 57, compared to an average age of 64 for nonsmokers.

Former smokers also tended to be diagnosed with the disease at a younger age than nonsmokers, as were individuals who were nonsmokers but exposed to secondhand smoke.

The study authors recommended that smokers and those exposed to tobacco smoke receive earlier screening for colorectal cancer.

The study was published in the Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology.