Age Guidelines for Colon Cancer Screening
Colon cancer is one of the most prevalent cancers in the United States, and colorectal screenings – victual colonoscopy – is becoming a widespread method for testing for polyps and tumors. However, a government task force is urging elderly people (75 and over) who get scanned regularly and have no symptoms to stop further screening. Similarly they are recommending people over the age of 85 to completely stop checking for colorectal cancer.
The task force highly recommends people the age of 50 to start screening yearly, but after age 75 the negatives of colonoscopies begin to outweigh the positives of early detection. The United States Preventive Services Task Force says that if you have not developed any signs of colorectal cancer by 75, you may not be susceptible to the disease thereafter.
However, for those of you between the age range of 50 and 75, it may be a good idea to get a colonoscopy for early detection – a key element for taming colon cancer. Go to
scandirectory.com to find a clinic in you area.
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