Revista Panamericana de Salud Pública Print version ISSN
1020-4989 Screening for colorectal cancer. Rev Panam Salud
Publica [online]. 2002, vol.12, n.4, pp. 291-295. ISSN
1020-4989. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S1020-49892002001000022.
This piece summarizes new recommendations from the Preventive
Services Task Force of the United States of America concerning
screening for colorectal cancer (CRC). These recommendations
update and replace ones that were issued in 1996. The Task Force
strongly recommends that physicians carry out CRC screening
tests for both men and women who are 50 years of age or older.
The Task Force found fair or good evidence that: 1) several
screening methods are effective in reducing mortality from CRC,
2) the benefits of screening outweigh its risks, although the
quality of the tests, the magnitude of the benefits, and the
potential harms vary according to the method, and 3) periodic
fecal occult blood testing (FOBT) reduces mortality from CRC. In
addition, there is fair evidence that sigmo