But risk for adverse events low
TUESDAY, Sept. 27, 2016 (HealthDay News) — A colonoscopy may not provide much colorectal cancer (CRC) prevention benefit after the age of 75, according to a study published online Sept. 27 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Xabier Garcia-Albeniz, M.D., Ph.D., a research associate at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, and colleagues conducted a review of 1,355,692 Medicare patients aged 70 to 79.
The team found that screening colonoscopy was associated with a modestly reduced CRC risk over eight years, from 2.62 to 2.19 percent, in those younger than 75. But it had little or no effect on cancer risk among patients over 75 (2.84 percent in the colonoscopy group versus 2.97 percent in the no-screening group). The excess 30-day risk for any adverse event with colonoscopy was 5.6 events per 1,000 individuals for those 70 to 74 years old and 10.3 per 1,000 for those 75 to 79 years old.
“Our findings suggest a modest benefit of screening colonoscopy for preventing CRC in persons aged 70 to 74 years and a smaller (if any) benefit in those who are older. The risk for adverse events was low in both age groups,” the authors write. “Our findings may help patients, physicians, and policymakers make informed decisions about CRC screening.”
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Copyright © 2016 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
