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- Posted August 24, 2026
Screening Dramatically Reduces Risk Of Colon Cancer Death
Getting recommended colon cancer screenings can reduce your risk of dying from the disease by more than 40%, a new study says.
People who took part in a stool screening program for colon cancer had a 43% lower risk of dying from that cancer, researchers reported Aug. 20 in JAMA Network Open.
“A previous evaluation of the program showed that those who received an invitation to screening had a 14% lower risk of dying from the disease,” said lead researcher Dr. Johannes Blom, a senior consultant and associate professor of clinical science and education at Karolinska Institute in Sweden.
“We have now been able to show that the mortality is significantly lower than that among those who actually take part in the screening,” Blom said in a news release.
For the new study, researchers tracked results from a universal screening program implemented in Sweden. Every two years, people ages 60 to 74 are mailed a screening kit and asked to provide a stool sample.
Lab techs review the submitted sample for the presence of blood, which can be a warning sign of colon cancer. If blood is found, people are asked to come in for a follow-up colonoscopy.
The new study followed more than 376,000 people, of whom more than 203,000 had been sent testing kits and invited to participate between 2008 and 2012. The rest had either not been invited to screening or received a kit between 2013 and 2015.
During follow-up, 856 colon cancer deaths occurred in the first group, and 812 in the second.
Results showed that active participation in screening lowered risk of colon cancer death by 43% among the two groups.
“Although screening is offered free of charge and the test is simple to carry out, around a third of people do not submit a sample,” Blom said. “Our study highlights the importance of taking part in colorectal cancer screening, and shows that it can actually save lives.”
More information
The American Cancer Society has more on colon cancer screening.
SOURCES: Karolinska Institute, news release, Aug. 20, 2026; JAMA Network Open, Aug. 20, 2026
