Key clinical point: Screening lower gastrointestinal tract endoscopy in adults older than 75 years with no substantial comorbidities was associated with a lower risk for colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence and survival gain, regardless of screening history.
Major finding: Irrespective of prior screening history, endoscopic screening after 75 years of age was associated with a significantly lower incidence of CRC (hazard ratio [HR], 0.61; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.51-0.74) and CRC-related mortality (HR, 0.60; 95% CI, 0.46-0.78), particularly in individuals without cardiovascular diseases or substantial comorbidities.
Study details: Findings are from an analysis of 2 prospective cohorts of 56,374 U.S. adults who reached 75 years of age during follow-up.
Disclosures: The study was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health, a Stuart and Suzanne Steele Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Research Scholar award (Dr. Chan), and an MGH Executive Committee on Research Tosteson and Fund for Medical Discovery Postdoctoral Fellowship award (Dr. Ma). Dr. Nishihara and Dr. Chan reported holding stocks and/or consulting for various sources.
Source: Ma W et al. JAMA Oncol. 2021 May 20. doi: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2021.1364 .