Cancer represents a major public health challenge, with nearly 8 million new cases diagnosed among individuals aged 70 years and older in 2022. Despite an increased risk of developing cancer, older adults are often excluded from screening recommendations and programmers, including for breast and colorectal cancers. In the absence of specific recommendations, older adults may undergo opportunistic screening, which nonetheless exposes them to an increased risk of over diagnosis. Limited evidence on the practice of opportunistic screening in this population are available in Europe. The European Health Interview survey (EHIS) offers a unique opportunity to explore this issue by providing information on the use of mammography, fecal occult blood testing and colonoscopy. Although the indication for these examinations is not specified, analyzing these data constitutes a first step towards estimating the extent of screening practices conducted outside recommended frameworks.
