50 percent of adults don't get colonoscopy

WASHINGTON, Dec. 17 (UPI) -- U.S. adults age 50 and older are advised to get a a colonoscopy, a screening test for colon cancer, but only about 50 percent do, a government report said.

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality also found nearly 67 percent of Hispanics age 50 and older reported they have never had a screening colonoscopy, compared to 47.1 percent of whites and 55.8 percent of blacks.

Seventy-seven percent of uninsured adults between the ages of 50 and 64 reported they have never had a screening colonoscopy compared to people with private insurance -- 54.1 percent -- or people covered by Medicaid and other public coverage -- 61 percent.

About half of those age 65 and older on Medicare plus an additional public insurance reported never having had a screening colonoscopy.

However, 45 percent of those over age 65 only on Medicare reported a colonoscopy and 34.6 percent of people who had Medicare plus some private insurance reported never having had a screening colonoscopy.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends that all people age 50 and over be screened for colon cancer.