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Clin Colon Rectal Surg
DOI: 10.1055/s-0044-1787893
Review Article

The Old: Is There Any Role for Screening Colonoscopy after the Age of 75? The Surgeon's Perspective

Imran Khan
1   Department of Colorectal Surgery, Digestive Diseases Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio
,
Mikhael Belkovsky
1   Department of Colorectal Surgery, Digestive Diseases Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio
,
Emre Gorgun
1   Department of Colorectal Surgery, Digestive Diseases Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio
› Author Affiliations Funding None.
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Abstract

Guidelines recommend individualized decision making for screening colonoscopy for colorectal cancer (CRC) in patients after the age of 75 years due to low additional benefits. That should be taken with a grain of salt, as these recommendations are based on expert opinion and simulation models which do not consider (1) the differences in pathogenesis and cancer biology of CRC in elderly; (2) the risks of colonoscopy in this patient population; (3) and the impact of new surgical and nonsurgical therapies for CRC. In this review, our goal is to bring a surgeon's perspective to understand the role of screening colonoscopy in patients older than 75 years.

Keywords

Elderly patient - frailty - geriatric population - screening colonoscopy - colorectal cancer - quality of life

Author's Contributions

E.M. developed the study concept, while I.M. was responsible for the study design and literature research. Manuscript preparation was carried out by I.M. and M.B., with E.M. conducting the manuscript review.




Publication History

Article published online:
27 June 2024

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