Study: Colorectal Cancer Screening Should Include General Population

National screening campaigns for colorectal cancer should include the general population, not just patients with a family history of the disease, according to researchers in the United Kingdom.

Researchers conducted a population study of more than 30,000 people, and said that colorectal cancer in a close relative more than doubled the risk of developing the disease. Those with a relative under 45 with colorectal cancer or with 2 relatives suffering from the disease had up to 5 times the risk of developing colon cancer, according to the study published in the Journal of Medical Screening.

But while the risk of colon cancer is much greater among those with a family history, approximately 85 percent of colorectal cancers develop in people with no family history of the disease, the researchers said.

"Based on the prevalence estimates reported here, screening strategies targeted solely at people with a family history will have limited impact on reducing mortality from colorectal cancer at the population level," concluded the researchers.

Other sources: British Medical Association