Older people are at greater risk of many types of cancer than other age groups. Even though screening detects a malignancy, people with a low life expectancy are unlikely to benefit due to low life period. This guideline accounts of life expectancy, the risk of dying from screen-detectable cancers, and the risks and benefits of the screening tests, as well as the individual’s situation and preferences. Screening recommendations: Older people should not be excluded from national cancer screening programmes.
It recommends that screening should be offered to those over 70 with an estimated life-expectancy of over 5 years. Older people with life expectancies of less than 5 years are unlikely to benefit from cancer screening. However, screening should be considered on an individualised basis. General Practitioners should discuss screening with their patients, using their knowledge of the…
