Research Alerts
Should People over 75 Continue Colonoscopies?
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Key Takeaways
- Guidelines recommend screening for colon cancer from age 45-75, but older adults with precancerous polyps are often subject to follow-up colonoscopies
- A new UC San Diego study found that older adults with polyps are more likely to die from other causes rather than colon cancer
- Findings suggest older adults may consider deprioritizing surveillance colonoscopies, especially if they have other health concerns
The American Cancer Society recommends screening for colorectal cancer in adults beginning at age 45 and continuing through age 75. However, adults over the age of 75 with a history of precancerous polyps — also known as adenomas — are often subject to follow-up colonoscopies. While cancer is a leading cause of death in older adults, there are often competing and more serious conditions older adults are dealing with that can make colonoscopy, which requires sedation, riskier.
Samir Gupta is a gastroenterologist at UC San Diego Health, professor of medicine at UC San Diego School of Medicine and staff physician at the VA San Diego Healthcare System.
In a recent study published in JAMA, researchers led by Samir Gupta, MD, gastroenterologist at UC San Diego Health, professor of medicine at UC San Diego School of Medicine and staff physician at the VA San Diego Healthcare System, looked at U.S. veterans 75 years of age and older who had previously undergone colonoscopies to determine whether the benefits of continued cancer surveillance outweighed the risks of competing health conditions.
The study found that the risks of older adults developing colorectal cancer from previous adenomas was much lower than their risks of dying of causes other than colorectal cancer.
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