NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — For the first time, the number of cancer cancer cases in the U.S. is projected to top two million this year.

The American Cancer Society released a new report this week showing colon cancer is now the leading cause of death among men under 50, and it’s the second leading cause of cancer deaths in women of the same age.

The ACS has already identified Hampton Roads as one of three colon cancer hot spots in country. So this new report, experts say, is something we all need to pay attention to.

“Your zip code, unfortunately, can be as important or more important than your genetic code in whether you live or die of cancer,” said ACS Cancer Action Network Volunteer Dr. Bruce Waldholtz.

As a gastroenterologist, Waldholtz spent the last 40 years doing colonoscopies in Hampton roads.

“It’s really disheartening when the lights are down and the patient’s sedated and you’re looking up inside that colon and you see this big mass,” Waldholtz said. “And everybody in that room, the nurses, the tech, knows that that patient’s life has been changed forever, and the question is, could this have been prevented?”

The answer he said, is yes.

Early screening saves lives.

It’s recommended for everyone age of 45 and older, but Waldholtz said only 20% of Americans ages 45 to 49 are getting screened.

“And the rates of cancer within Virginia are much lower in certain areas of Northern Virginia than in Norfolk or Portsmouth, and we must do something about that.” Waldholtz said.

He wants everyone to share with their friends and family that when it comes to colonoscopy — 45 is the new 50.

He also wants to educate those who are uninsured, can’t get to a doctor or just won’t get a colonoscopy that there is another way.

You can get a FIT Kit — take a stool sample in the privacy of your own home and return it to a clinic.

Find out more about colon screenings including the FIT on the ACS website here.