It would have been more understandable if the National Board of Health and Welfare had said it was about priorities rather than citing evidence. This is the reasoning of many doctors who criticize the National Board of Health and Welfare’s decision to no longer recommend colon cancer screening after the age of 50.
The authority refers to the SBU, the state preparation for medical and social assessment, which was tasked with answering the question of whether lowering the screening age reduces mortality.
The answer is based on an analysis of the science on which the EU’s screening recommendations are based.
SBU is coming point out that the expected benefit of screening in the patient group aged 50 to 59 years is uncertain. On this basis, the National Board of Health and Welfare has concluded that it is not worth lowering the age limit.
According to critics, there are several problems here. Among other things, that the analysis does not include the latest research results such as relevant observational studies of ongoing screening programs.
SBU also failed to separate the group of 50 to 59 year olds from the EU material.
SBU also concludes that the EU report is only relevant in certain parts from a Swedish perspective, as it is partly based on screening methods that are not used in Sweden.
Today is Sweden In the EU countries with ongoing screening programs alone, the starting age is 60 years. In countries starting colorectal cancer screening, the starting age will be 50 or 45, according to the next EU joint cancer screening report, which is still unpublished.
The National Board of Health and Welfare stands by its opinion and believes that the conflict with the medical community is based on an “educational problem” regarding screening.
– Since screening is an offer for a large group of asymptomatic people, we need to be sure that it has an effect, says Thomas Lindén, head of department at the National Board of Health and Welfare.
Are you sure that screening at ages 50 to 59 does not reduce morbidity and mortality?
– It has not been proven to reduce mortality. And don’t prove otherwise. As long as this uncertainty exists, we cannot recommend screening.
The EU recommends screening from the age of 50
The benefits of screening outweigh the risks and are expected to be cost-effective. This is the opinion of the EU (Commission Initiative on Colorectal Cancer, ECICC), which strongly recommends screening adults aged 50 to 69 for colorectal cancer. The recommendation is based on randomized trials that included different types of screening and patients were 45 years of age and older.
Source: SBU
