USPSTF Recommends Screening Colonoscopy at Age 45 Years for Average-Risk Patients

Objective: To explore the yield of colorectal cancer (CRC) screening for patients aged 45 to 49 (as suggested by the new the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force [USPSTF] guidelines) versus patients aged 50 to 54 years, which were the previous screening guidelines. Design: Prospective, comparison cohort study conducted at the Kaiser Permanente Health Network from the years 2021 through 2024. Participants: 4380 patients aged 45 to 49 years, and 7651 patients aged 50 to 54 years between 2021 and 2024. Patients were excluded from the research if they had a history of inflammatory bowel disease, family history of CRC, personal history of CRC or adenoma, incomplete screening colonoscopy (ie, inadequate bowel preparation and/or did not reach the cecum), or a diagnostic indication for the colonoscopy (bleeding, diarrhea, abdominal pain). Methods: Regression modeling was used to calculate estimated adjusted risk ratios (aRRs) for outcomes such as any adenoma, advanced adenomas, sessile serrat more...