Americans younger than 50 with a family history of colorectal were less likely than adults aged 50 or older to have had a colonoscopy, according to a recent University of South Carolina and Mayo Clinic College of Medicine study.
Colorectal cancer (CRC) screening is recommended for everyone over age 50. But those who have a close relative that had CRC should begin screening at age 40 - or 10 years before the age at which the youngest relative was diagnosed with CRC.
The researchers analyzed data on U.S. colonoscopy screening rates from the 2005 and 2010 National Health Interview Survey They found that of 26,064 respondents, 2,470 reported a family history of colorectal cancer. Of those with a family history, only 38.3 percent had a colonoscopy at age 40 to 49.
The likelihood of colonoscopy among first-degree relatives aged 40 to 49 was about one-third that of the older age groups not reporting a first degree relative with CRC. Having health insurance tripled the likelihood of screening. Despite a 5-fold increase in colonoscopy screening rates since 2005, rates among first-degree relatives younger than the conventional screening age have lagged. Screening promotion targeted to this group may halt the recent rising trend of colorectal cancer among younger Americans, the researchers suggest.
"Screening promotion should target both physicians and patients: alerting primary care physicians to engage younger patients in learning about a potential colorectal cancer family history and educating colorectal cancer patients to alert their first-degree relatives to initiate screening discussions with their physicians," the researchers suggest.
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