Study: 1 in 6 Older Adults Screened Unnecessarily for Cancer

Elderly adults are being tested and treated for prostate and breast cancer against guidelines published by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), according to new research.

The aging population suggests there will be a surge in prostate and breast cancer diagnoses in the coming years. However, guidelines recommend against testing if a patient’s life expectancy is less than 10 years.
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To examine whether patients are being overtreated and overdiagnosed, researchers analyzed the answers of 149,514 patients aged 65 years and older who responded to the Behavioral Risk Factors Surveillance System survey in 2012.

They collected data from men who had had a prostate-specific antigen test within the prior year and women who had had a mammogram within the prior year.

Researchers found that about 50% of respondents had had 1 of these screenings—33% of whom had a life expectancy of less than 10 years. That means that the nonrecommended screening rate was about 16%.

--Amanda Balbi

Reference:

Abdollah F, Sun M, Sammon JD, et al. Prevalence of nonrecommended screening for prostate cancer and breast cancer in the United States: A nationwide survey analysis. JAMA Oncol. Published online January 21, 2016. doi:10.1001/jamaoncol.2015.5871.