Screening for cancer saves lives, but a new report shows it comes with a hefty price tag: The United States spends at least $43 billion annually on tests that check for five major cancers.

Published Monday in the Annals of Internal Medicine, the new analysis focused on screenings for br...

Dutch researchers have developed a new stool test that appears to detect colon polyps better than the current test does.

"The current test performs well, but leaves room for improvement," said Dr. Gerrit Meijer, principle investigator at the Netherlands Cancer Institute in Amsterdam. 

"We want to be able to detect t...

Getting your preventive screening colonoscopy could be even more of a lifesaver than you thought, a new analysis finds.

The two gold standard tests for spotting cancers and polyps of the colon -- colonoscopy and sigmoidoscopy -- offer double the benefit determined in prior studies, conclude a team from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), in Cambridge, Mass.

They explain...

While guidelines for cancer screening have begun factoring in life expectancy, a new poll shows a majority of older adults disagree with age cutoffs based on how long a person is expected to live.

The University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging querie...

Many Americans are behind on recommended colon cancer screenings -- and their doctors often fail to remind them, a new study suggests.

The study, by the American Cancer Society, focused on a nationwide sample of more 5,000 Americans who were overdue for colon cancer screening. All had been to a routine checkup in the past year, but only about one-quarter said their provider had advised th...

Health screenings and preventive care appointments are a key to maintaining long-term health and well-being. By proactively engaging in these practices, women can identify potential health risks early on and take necessary steps.

This guide will outline the key women's health screenings and care appointments to help you prioritize your health and stay on top of your well-being.

Many Americans are not getting recommended cancer screenings, and a new study hints at one way to push the needle: paid sick leave from work.

Researchers found that in areas of the United States that passed mandates on paid sick leave, cancer screening rates inched up in the years afterward. Breast cancer screening rose by roughly 3%, while colon cancer screening increased by 6% to 8%.

Colon cancer continues to rise among younger U.S. adults, with the American Cancer Society reporting a doubling of cases in people younger than 55 in about 25 years.

Also, significantly more Americans are being diagnosed with advanced stages of the disease, the cancer society says.

As of 2019, 20% of colon cancer cases occurred in adults under age 55 -- up from just 11% in 1995, acc...

Cancer screening rates were down again during 2021, the second year of the pandemic.

The number of women having cervical cancer screening dropped 4.4 million in 2021 compared to 2019, according to a study by the American Cancer Society (ACS). About 1.1 million fewer women were screened for breast cancer and about 700,000 fewer men were screened for prostate cancer.

"The COVID-19 pan...

Many people undergo a stool test to screen for colon cancer but a new study finds too few follow up with a colonoscopy when that test warns of a possible cancer.

Not following up undermines the point of screening, said study-co-author Jeff Mohl, director of research and analytics for the Amer...

Just 14% of all cancers diagnosed in the United States are detected through routine screening, a new analysis finds -- pointing to many missed opportunities to catch cancer early.

"It's surprising, but true," said Caroline ...

Are you an older man worried about your risk for colon cancer? Eating whole grains, vegetables, fruits and legumes may improve your odds of dodging the disease, new research shows.

"Although previous research has suggested that plant-based diets may play a role in preventing colorectal cancer, the impact of plant foods' nutritional quality on this association has been unclear," said study...

Many guys love a breakfast plate piled high with sausages and maybe a sugar-glazed danish on the side. Now, research shows that wolfing down too many ultra-processed foods like these could be bad news for a man's colon.

Specifically, men who consum...

If you use pot, you may need more sedation than normal during a gastric endoscopy, according to a new study.

"Patients didn't have increased awareness or discomfort during procedures, but they did require more drugs," lead author Dr. Yasmin Nasser said in a news release from the American Gastroenterological Association. Nasser is an assistant professor in the Institute for Chronic Disease...

Many people who are overweight or obese avoid cancer screening for fear of stigma and judgment about their weight, British researchers report.

In a review of 10 published studies, researchers found that many doctors around the world don't look kindly on patients with obesity, an attitude that can affect tre...

Colonoscopies in younger women can significantly cut their risk of colon cancer, a new study claims.

"While there's been an alarming increase in the incidence of colorectal cancer in recent decades in younger individuals, screening has largely been focused on people over 50," noted seni...

The early months of the COVID-19 pandemic kept millions of Americans away from routine cancer screenings. Now a new study finds that many U.S. screening programs were still not back to normal by 2021.

The study, of more than 700 cancer facilities nationwide, found that in January 2021 - a year after COVID's emergence in the United States - most still had not recovered their pre-pandemic s...

Colon cancer rates are increasing for younger Americans, along with rates of obesity. Could slimming down reduce young people's risk for malignancy?

A new study suggests that even a small amount of weight loss may cut your odds for benign growths in the colon known as adenomas, or polyps. Left unchecked, these growths can lead to

Big surprise bills for any colonoscopy done after a positive result from a stool-based screening test will be prevented under new federal rules, a group of U.S. medical organizations say.

On Jan. 10, the Biden administration issued guidance requiring private insurers to cover such colonoscopies.

The guidance exp...

New research offers fresh proof that the COVID-19 pandemic delayed cancer diagnoses in the United States, increasing patients' risk for poor outcomes.

For the study, researchers analyzed data from more than 9 million patients at over 1,200 Veterans Affairs (VA) medical facilities.

Procedures to diagnose cancer were used less often and there were fewer new cancer diagnoses in 2020 t...

President Joe Biden is undergoing a routine colonoscopy Friday, and will briefly transfer power to Vice President Kamala Harris while he's sedated for the procedure, the White House said.

The colonoscopy will be part of Biden's first routine physical exam as president, and will take place at Walter Reed National Military Center.

"As was the case when President George W. Bush had the...

Colon cancer numbers dropped dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic, but that doesn't mean fewer people have the disease.

In Spain, researchers discovered a more than 40% decline in colon cancer diagnoses, leading experts to worry about the ramifications.

"These are very worrying findings indeed -- cases of colorectal cancer undoubtedly went undiagnosed during the pandemic. Not o...

Colon cancer risk runs in families, and it's not just a parent or sibling having had the disease that should concern you.

If you have a second- or third-degree relative who had colon cancer at an early age, your odds of having the disease substantially increase, a new study finds.

First-degree relatives include parents, children and siblings. Second-degree relatives include aunts, u...

Colonoscopy screening can help prevent colon cancer by allowing doctors to find and remove potentially pre-cancerous growths called polyps. But if they fail to get the whole growth, the odds of a recurrence are high, a new study shows.

The likelihood that it will occur within the next few years more than doubled.

Repeat exams found a new growth in the same colon segment 52% of the t...