Study Validates 50 as Age to Commence Colon Cancer Screening
Data published online in the journal Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology further validates commencing colon cancer screening at age fifty. The study indicates that the rate of colorectal adenomas significantly climbs after age fifty.
Importantly, colon adenomas are linked with the development of colon cancer. These polyps most often precede development of this common malignancy. Polyps are significantly less common among young adults.
The study completed evaluated data from the large intestine of more than 3,558 autopsies. The age range was between ages twenty and 89 years. Those persons did not have a diagnosis of colon cancer or any suggestive symptoms. The number and location of polyps was determined based on the completion of epidemiologic autopsy.
Results from the study indicate that the rate of polyps increased from 1.72 percent among thirty year olds to 3.59 percent among those age fifty. The rate continued to rise with age; increasing from 10.1 percent during the sixth decade of life to 12.06 percent in the ninth decade.
Men were more likely to have polyps than were women. In older adults, they were found most often among African Americans compared to Caucasians. The opposite is true in younger adults, when polyps are most common among Caucasians.
The lead study author, from Johns Hopkins University, noted the importance of understanding the natural history of colorectal polyps. This information can help fuel efforts to prevent the development of colon cancer.
Notably, the current screening recommendations call for starting screening at age fifty and apply to the average patient. There are certainly exceptions to such, with some individuals requiring screening earlier or more frequently than others. The study authors suggest that those patients with multiple polyps diagnosed at an early age are such a subgroup.
September 4, 2008 Related topics: Diagnostic