Posted on 05/20/2021 8:28:54 AM PDT by Red Badger
Screening for colorectal cancer—the second most common cause of cancer-related death in the United States—can save lives by detecting both pre-cancerous lesions that can be removed during the screening procedure, and colorectal cancer in its early stages, when it is highly curable.
Cancer — Histopathologic image of colonic carcinoid. Credit: Wikipedia/CC BY-SA 3.0
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Screening is most commonly performed with endoscopy: visualization of the entire colon and rectum using a long flexible optical tube (colonoscopy), or of the lower part of the colon and rectum with a shorter flexible tube (sigmoidoscopy).
This week, the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) lowered the recommended beginning age for screening from 50 to 45 for persons without a family history of colorectal cancer. However, its recommendation to continue periodically until age 75, after which the decision to undergo screening can be based on an individual's health and risk factors, remains unchanged.
Yet there has been very little hard evidence to support or contradict the recommendation to stop routine screening at age 75—until now. As researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) report in JAMA Oncology, screening endoscopy for persons older than 75 in otherwise good health can reduce the risk of colorectal cancer incidence and cancer-related death by approximately 40%.
The researchers also found, however, that screening did not provide a significant survival benefit for individuals older than 75 with cardiovascular disease, diabetes or three or more other health conditions.
"Until now, there really weren't clear data to help us decide whether patients should be screened after age 75," says co-investigator Andrew T. Chan. MD, MPH, a gastroenterologist and chief of the Clinical and Translational Epidemiology Unit at MGH. "Current guidance was largely based on modeling and extrapolation of studies conducted in other age groups, and not on solid data to show whether screening was actually helpful in an older population."
To answer this important question, Chan and colleagues looked at data on the incidence of colorectal cancer and colorectal cancer-related deaths among participants in two large U.S. health studies: the Nurses' Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. In both, participants fill out biannual questionnaires on demographics, lifestyle factors, screening, medical history and disease outcomes.
For the current study, the investigators examined data on participants who were followed from 1988 through 2016, focusing on the history of screening sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy in 56,374 who reached 75 years of age during study follow-up.
The researchers identified 661 cases of colorectal cancer and 323 colorectal cancer-related deaths after age 75.
They found that screening after age 75 was associated with a 39% decrease in colorectal cancer incidence and a 40% decrease in risk of death related to colorectal cancer, regardless of whether participants had been screened before age 75.
Among participants who had undergone screening before 75 years of age, screening after age 75 was associated with a 33% reduction in colorectal cancer incidence and a 42% decrease in colorectal cancer-related death compared with those who were not screened after reaching 75.
Similarly, for participants who were screened for the first time only after age 75, the respective declines in incidence and death were 49% and 37% compared with those who were never screened.
In contrast, participants with cardiovascular disease or multiple co-morbidities did not benefit from screening after 75.
"These are the first empirical data that really demonstrate that there is value in continuing screening past age 75 for many individuals. But the key take-home message is that screening should be tailored according to individual risk factors," says Chan.
Explore further
Study finds disparities in colorectal cancer screenings
More information: JAMA Oncology (2021). DOI: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2021.1364
Journal information: JAMA Oncology
Provided by Massachusetts General Hospital
It can save your life.
Colonoscopy Procedure and Preparation
Colonoscopy is a procedure that enables an examiner (usually a gastroenterologist) to evaluate the inside of the colon (large intestine or large bowel). The colonoscope is a four-foot long, flexible tube about the thickness of a finger with a camera and a source of light at its tip. The tip of the colonoscope is inserted into the anus and then is advanced slowly, under visual control, into the rectum and through the colon usually as far as the cecum, which is the first part of the colon. Usually, it also is possible to enter and examine the last few inches of the small intestine (terminal ileum).
Covid money drying up?
They’ve locked us up for a year, jabbed us all with God-knows-what and now they’re obsessed with looking up our butts. Seems like a psych ward to me.
What if I wear a mask?
Hospitals make a shitload of money off these screenings.
Makes Covid 19 treatment look like small potatoes re $’s to hospitals running Colorectal cancer screening.
“Hospitals make a shitload of money off these screenings. Week before last a lady had her colon punctured during the screening.”
Yep, same worry. I tried looking up statistics between the rate of accidents/mistakes during the screens, versus the probability of someone getting the cancer, when it doesn’t run in their family. From the little bit I found, they were roughly the same.
There is risk associated with any type of procedure done period. I have had colonoscopys, endoscopy hip replacement all have risk
Just had mine.
Word of warning. If they are going to use Propofol to put you under, ask them to shoot in Lidocaine in the port FIRST to deaden the vein. I felt like my arm was on FIRE. Very unpleasant 10 seconds.
Saved my husband. His doctor said he would have gotten cancer.
My best friend died of colon cancer when she was around 60. Sweetest woman I’ve ever known.
shitload of money
Is there a pun there??
One doc says to me they are not necessary after 75 as “something will get you anyway”,(as long as you have no symptoms or family history). My other doc is on me every time I go in with a push to get one. That and lately been getting a ton of TV ads for going in for the “benign” test.
I have a complete aversion to anything stuffed up my backside, so I am happy to just say no. So I guess one doc is right in as many words by saying something will get you in the end.
Or you can do the fecal blood test Kit every year which is also a good indicator. Non invasive.
My mother aged 98 is currently dying from colorectal cancer and its an unpleasant way to go.
I have had two.........................
I believe it.
My friend supposedly committed suicide, although it was not made public, by slitting his femoral artery in a bathtub like in ancient Rome...................
We had a an elderly loved one die of colo-rectal cancer that was caught too late. She was elderly when diagnosed. And there was zero family history.
That particular cancer is the second leading cancer cause of death in the US.
Screenings are worth the investment.
Why not just cologuard? If tests positive get the full roto-rooter?
They now have a blood test that detects most cancers, including colon. Price is $985, down from $3000, not yet covered by insurance. It should be under $500 in a few years.
My wife and my doctor finally talked me into one at age 66. They took out a few polyps and that was all. 55 is not too late.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.