Should people over age 75 be screened for colorectal cancer?

 

According to a recently published article in JAMA Oncology, "people over age 75 who were screened for colorectal cancer had a 40% lower risk of dying from the disease."  While new recommendation by the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) explain the benefits of starting colorectal cancer screening at age 45 instead of 50, a new study conducted at the Massachusetts General Hospital suggests that a subsequent decade of screening individuals aged 76-85 is beneficial.  While study co-lead Dr. Andrew Chan, professor of medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, explains that screening for colorectal cancer beyond age 75 should be made on a case-by-case basis, findings from this study on 56,000 people 75 years of age and older showed that "risk of dying from colorectal cancer was reduced by more than a third in people...who had been screened by colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy." 

To read more about this study, click here.