Colorectal Cancer Screening, Polyp Diagnoses Up Among 45- to 49-Year-Old Population

Colorectal cancer screening rates among 45- to 49-year-old individuals have more than doubled since the US Preventative Services Task Force lowered the recommended age to begin colorectal cancer screening to 45, according to study findings published online by Epic Research.

The study included data for more than 66.5 million patients who underwent colorectal cancer screening between 2018 and 2022. Researchers were interested in how the recommendation, which required private insurers and Medicare to cover the costs of screening for the expanded population per the Affordable Care Act, influenced rates of colorectal cancer screening and diagnosis among patients aged 45 through 49 years.

The guideline change was announced in May 2021. Between the second quarter of that year and the fourth quarter of 2022, screenings increased from 3386 to 8068 per 100,000 women and from 3743 to 9885 per 100,000 men aged 45 through 49 years, researchers reported.

During the same period, polyp diagnosis rates also increased. Among women aged 45 to 49 years, polyp diagnoses rose from 368 to 954 per 100,000 patients. Among men of the same age, polyp diagnoses increased from 471 to 1468 diagnoses per 100,000 patients.

Between 2018 and the end of 2022, a decrease in colorectal cancer diagnoses in patients aged 65 and older drove a decrease in the rate of these diagnoses overall, data showed. Among men aged 45 through 49 years, however, the rate of colorectal cancer diagnoses increased from 34 per 100,000 patients in the second quarter of 2021 to 51 per 100,000 patients in in the fourth quarter of 2022. No significant increase in colorectal cancer diagnoses occurred among women aged 45 through 49 years.

The study was based on data from the limited data set Cosmos, which includes more than 183 million patients from 193 Epic health care organizations. Two research teams that worked independently to conduct the study arrived at similar conclusions.

Reference:
Fox B, Joyce B, Allen S, Sahakian S. Colorectal cancer screening rates on the rise following guideline expansion. Epic Research. Published online March 10, 2023. Accessed May 19, 2023.