According to the US Preventive Services Task Force’ recommendations, people after age 75 who have screened negatively and don’t have any signs of colon cancer should discontinue screening.

While in 2002 the government task force recommended regular screening for everyone over age 50, new recommendations say no one older than 85 years of age should be screened because the medical strategy is unsuccessful in prolonging life, scientists said.

USPSTF is an independent panel of medical experts in primary care and prevention that assesses the newest scientific evidence of effectiveness and develops recommendations for medical preventive services. Its recently issued revised recommendations were based on a rigorously analysis of the literature and a computer simulation which included data on mortality, as well as screening intervals and techniques.

Before issuing the advice, the task force took into account a decision analysis that drew a comparison between the expected findings, as well as resource use, and various screening ways. Ann G. Zauber, M.D., a biostatistician at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, and colleagues agreed that screening should begin at the age of 50 and continue until 75.

“By age 75, if you haven’t found anything, it’s unlikely that colorectal cancer will be a cause of death,” Dr. Zauber said. However, “an exceedingly healthy 75-year-old with a long life expectancy should discuss further screening.”

Colorectal cancer, also called colon cancer or large bowel cancer, causes 655,000 deaths each year worldwide. It is the third most common form of cancer and may be cured if detected at an early stage. At this point screening may be able to help patients with colorectal cancer, by spotting abnormal growths in the colon before they become cancer.