Colon cancer screenings can stop after age 75, task force says

Colorectal cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer death. There will be an estimated 153,000 cases this year, resulting in 52,000 deaths. The disease is most curable in its early stages. 5-year survival rates by stage • Stage 1 (limited to colon): 93% • Stage 2 (spread through wall of colon): 72% to 85% • Stage 3 (spread to lymph nodes): 44% to 83% • Stage 4 (spread to other organs): 8% Source: The American Cancer Society PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Most people over 75 should stop getting routine colon cancer tests, according to a government health task force that also rejected the latest X-ray screening technology. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force — in a break with other medical and cancer organizations — opted not to give its stamp of approval to the newest tests: CT colonography, an X-ray test known as virtual... [read full story]