A significant number of older patients with a limited life expectancy are still undergoing cancer screening on a regular basis, even though such screenings most likely will not benefit them in the long run.

Healthy People 2020 is a program dedicated to increasing the number of people who receive screenings for cancer – including colorectal, breast, cervical and prostate – to remain consistent with guidelines put forth by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF).

An increase in age is a high risk factor for developing cancer, with people over the age of 65 accounting for 60 percent of newly diagnosed cancers, and 70 percent of all cancer deaths.

The rates of colorectal, breast, cervical and prostate cancer in patients over the age of 65 years was analyzed by researchers using data from 2000 to 2010. The study involved 27,404 participants, grouped according to their risk factors.

The researchers, including Trevor J. Royce, M.D., M.S., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and colleagues, discovered that 31 to 55 percent of the participants in the very high mortality risk group underwent recent cancer screening.

“These results raise concerns about overscreening in these individuals, which not only increases health care expenditure but can lead to patient net harm. Creating simple and reliable ways to assess life expectancy in the clinic may allow reduction of unnecessary cancer screening, which can benefit the patient and substantially reduce health care costs,” said Royce in a statement.