Task force proposes age 45 as new start of colon cancer screening

Adults should be screened for colon cancer beginning at age 45 rather than 50, even in the absence of symptoms and personal or family history related to colorectal cancer, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force said Tuesday in a draft recommendation statement. The task force, an independent, volunteer panel of national experts, cited a strong net benefit for screenings starting at age 50, and a moderate benefit of starting five years earlier. The task force says screenings should occur on a case-by-case basis for those over age 75. The task force notes that a quarter of U.S. adults ages 50 to 75 have never been screened for colorectal cancer, and said it is especially important clinicians offer screenings earlier to Black adults, who are more likely to die from the disease.