Colon cancer screening focus vs. reality: 92X more 70-somethings die of other causes

The Hubris of Screening for Disease -- Again - April 2026

Sensigle Medicine

96X (average age 71)

From the Table above, the 10-year risk of dying from colorectal cancer at age 71 (the average age of this study) was 0.5% even if you had an adenoma. The risk of dying from something other than colon cancer was 48%.

Now do fractions: 48% divided by 0.5% = you are 96 times more likely to die of something else. Not 50% higher; not double the risk, but __96 times more likely.PP

This study was done in 71-year-olds and we all know that death comes to us all, and the older we get, the higher the odds of all diseases. So a screening advocate might argue that we should keep screening but do it in younger people.

36 X (average age 65)

In the 56,000 individuals in the control arm of that study, 157 people died of colorectal cancer (0.31% over 10-years) vs 6079 people who died of any cause (11%). Younger people therefore only have a 36x greater risk of dying from non-colorectal cancer. (By the way, the ratio was the same in the screening arm: 11% vs 0.28%).

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• 16 factors increase the risk of early-onset colorectal cancer, only vitamin D decreases the risk – meta-analysis
• Vitamin D intake and mortality of 5 cancers: breast, colorectal, lung, pancreatic, and prostate - umbrella
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• Colorectal cancer 40 percent less likely if 1000 IU more Vitamin D – 21st meta-analysis
• Vitamin D Receptor Activators Prevent Colon Cancer: Curcumin, Butyrate, etc.

• William Grant: Vitamin D reduces the risk of 8 of the top 10 causes of death

• Fewer deaths (All-cause, Cardiovascular, Cancer) when Vitamin D levels are above 36 ng

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