ACS recommends beginning colorectal cancer screening at age 45
New guidelines from the American Cancer Society (ACS) suggest beginning colorectal cancer (CRC) screening at age 45, instead of the current recommendation starting at age 50.
“Since the last update of the ACS CRC screening guideline a decade ago, there have been numerous developments in the field of CRC screening that have informed this update,” wrote Robert A. Smith, PhD, vice president of cancer screening at the ACS, and colleagues in the study outlining the changes.
Among the recent developments are new data pointing to a rise in colorectal cancer among younger groups, according to the May 30 study published in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians which outlined the new recommendations.
The ACS recommended physicians present patients six different screening options, ranging from the most invasive—a colonoscopy every 10 years—to lab tested stool samples that can be collected at home.
“These approaches vary in intensity and resource utilization, but even an intervention as simple as offering a choice of screening test to improve uptake—as emphasized in this guideline—is expected to further the goal of improving screening rates and reducing the burden of suffering from CRC,” the authors said.
While many other organizations, including the United States Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF), still recommend beginning screening at age 50 through age 75, authors noted the 2018 ACS recommendations “largely overlap” with current USPSTF guidelines.
ACS noted that screenings should continue through age 75, but that decisions for patients older than 75 should be individualized based on patient preference, life expectancy and health status.
“It is our hope that widespread adoption of this guideline will have a major impact on the incidence, suffering, and mortality caused by CRC,” Smith et al. wrote.
Matt joined Chicago’s TriMed team in 2018 covering all areas of health imaging after two years reporting on the hospital field. He holds a bachelor’s in English from UIC, and enjoys a good cup of coffee and an interesting documentary.