Cancer Screening Rates 'Unexpectedly High' Among Adults Aged 85 Years and Older

A study published in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians found persons 85 years and older were screened for cancer at "unexpectedly high" rates, even though such tests are generally not recommended for this demographic, reports Healio . Cancer incidence and mortality trends among this group seemed similar to those for individuals 65 to 84 years old, but the older group had lower survival rates. Adults 85 and older comprise 8 percent of all new cancer diagnoses in the United States. Men in this age group with no history of cancer face a 16.4 percent risk of invasive cancer diagnosis in their remaining lifetime, while women face a 12.8 percent risk. Subjects 85 years and older also exhibited greater disease progression at diagnosis compared to people 65 to 84 years old, with smaller numbers of the oldest old presenting with local-stage breast cancer and local-stage prostate cancer. The researchers credited lower rates of screening among the 85-and-older group as the likely reason for this disparity. Nevertheless, many of the oldest old were screened for cancer, even though its potential life-extending benefit is limited.