title: Cancer screening rates in individuals with different life expectancies.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Routine cancer screening has unproven net benefit for patients with limited life expectancy.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine the patterns of prostate, breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screening in the United States in individuals with different life expectancies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data from the population-based National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) from 2000 through 2010 were used and included 27 404 participants aged 65 years or older. Using a validated mortality index specific for NHIS, participants were grouped into those with low (<25%), intermediate (25%-49%), high (50%-74%), and very high (≥75%) risks of 9-year mortality.
  
  
  METHODS
  Rates of prostate, breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screening.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In participants with very high mortality risk, 31% to 55% received recent cancer screening, with prostate cancer screening being most common (55%). For women who had a hysterectomy for benign reasons, 34% to 56% had a Papanicolaou test within the past 3 years. On multivariate analysis, very high vs low mortality risk was associated with less screening for prostate (odds ratio [OR], 0.65 [95% CI, 0.50-0.85]), breast (OR, 0.43 [95% CI, 0.35-0.53]), and cervical (OR, 0.50 [95% CI, 0.36-0.70]) cancers. There was less screening for prostate and cervical cancers in more recent years compared with 2000, and there was no significant interaction between calendar year and mortality risk for any cancer screening (P > .05 for all cancers). Our sensitivity analysis showed that screening was also common in individuals with less than 5-year life expectancy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A substantial proportion of the US population with limited life expectancy received prostate, breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screening that is unlikely to provide net benefit. These results suggest that overscreening is common in both men and women, which not only increases health care expenditure but can lead to net patient harm.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill2School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill.
authors.forename: Trevor J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Royce
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill.
authors.forename: Laura H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Hendrix
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill2School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill.
authors.forename: William A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Stokes
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill2School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill.
authors.forename: Ian M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Allen
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill3Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill4Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of N.
authors.forename: Ronald C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control; D003113:Colonoscopy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008017:Life Expectancy; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008327:Mammography / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control*; D065006:Papanicolaou Test / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000097:blood; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control; D012306:Risk; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D019564:Unnecessary Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen