By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    headphones can create health problems
    The Harmful Health Effects of Using Headphones
    September 24, 2021
    Headache causes
    4 Causes Of Headache You Probably Didn’t Know About
    December 28, 2021
    follow these steps to recover from your injury
    What Steps Should You Take to Recover More Quickly from an Injury?
    April 12, 2022
    Latest News
    5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
    August 3, 2025
    Why Custom Telemedicine Apps Outperform Off‑the‑Shelf Solutions
    July 20, 2025
    How Probate Planning Shapes the Future of Your Estate and Family Care
    July 17, 2025
    Beyond Nutrition: Everyday Foods That Support Whole-Body Health
    June 15, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    Healthcare Breakthroughs: 3 Ways to Improve Your Chances of Fighting Obesity
    September 22, 2017
    Bone Marrow Donation and Compensation: My Moral Dilemma
    December 11, 2013
    health problems caused by poor cleanliness
    5 Serious Health Problems Caused By Poor Cleanliness
    September 15, 2020
    Latest News
    How IT and Marketing Teams Can Collaborate to Protect Patient Trust
    July 17, 2025
    How Health Choices and Legal Actions Intersect After an Injury
    July 17, 2025
    How communities and healthcare providers can address slip and fall injuries with legal awareness
    July 17, 2025
    Let Your Lawyer Handle the Work Before You Pay Medical Costs
    July 6, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: How Good is Screening Colonoscopy for Average-risk Adults?
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Specialties > How Good is Screening Colonoscopy for Average-risk Adults?
Specialties

How Good is Screening Colonoscopy for Average-risk Adults?

psalber
psalber
Share
5 Min Read
Image
SHARE

Image

As the date of my screening colonoscopy is coming up soon, an article in the March 5, 2013 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine caught my eye.  It was titled, “Screening Colonoscopy and Risk for Incident Late-Stage Colorectal Cancer Diagnosis in Average-Risk Adults.”  The rationale for doing the study was highlighted in the summary:

Image

As the date of my screening colonoscopy is coming up soon, an article in the March 5, 2013 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine caught my eye.  It was titled, “Screening Colonoscopy and Risk for Incident Late-Stage Colorectal Cancer Diagnosis in Average-Risk Adults.”  The rationale for doing the study was highlighted in the summary:

More Read

9 Habits You Can Cultivate To Reduce Your Risk Of Dementia
How To Know If You’re At Risk For Cancer
How to Alleviate Stress Related Insomnia
Understanding Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease: 5 Signs You Shouldn’t Ignore
What Is Stem Cell Therapy And How Does It Work?

“The effectiveness of screening colonoscopy in average-risk adults is uncertain, particularly for right colon cancer.”

 Really?  I thought we settled that long ago.  It turns out that the published evidence has established the effectiveness of sigmoidoscopy and fecal occult blood tests in reducing risk for colorectal cancer incidence and death, but solid evidence for the effectiveness of the much more expensive and invasive screening colonoscopy “is limited” when is comes to people who are average-risk for the disease.  This led a team of researchers led by Clyde A. Doubeni, MD, MPH at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine to design and carry out a case-control study of more than 1000 average risk adults.

The study design is interesting.  The researchers collaborated with HMOs participating in the HMO Cancer Research Network (Kaiser Permanente, Group Health and Reliant Medical Group/Fallon) in part because they all had electronic utilization data on their patients dating back to 1995.  They identified cases of late stage CRC (IIB or higher), but excluded those who were considered high risk because of a history of total colectomy, inflammatory bowel disease or strong family history or familial CRC syndromes.  These “average-risk” patients were then matched to control patients, using incidence density matching.  Controls at high risk for CRC were also excluded.  471 case patients were included in the study.  53% had right colon cancer, 43% had left-sided CRC, and 3% had colorectal cancer of unspecified location.  There were 509 controls.

The researchers then looked through the electronic health data to determine which patients had had screening colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy in the 10 year period before what the call the “reference date” which was the date of diagnosis of each of the advanced cancer patients.  They developed an algorithm and a process to determine if the colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy was surveillance, diagnostic, or for screening purposes.  Remember, this study wanted to determine the effectiveness of screening colonoscopies.

Here is what they found.  Only 3% of colon cancer case patients had undergone screening colonoscopy compared to 9% of the control patients, for an odds ratio of .32 (95% CI, 0.16 to .61).  19% of case patients and 34% of controls had had a screening sigmoidoscopy.

The researchers sliced and diced the data to determine whether the presumed quality of the colonoscopy (good prep or gastroenterologist-performed) made a difference – and it did not.

Their conclusion was that screening colonoscopy in averagerisk indivudals is associated twith a large reduction in new-onset, late stage colorectal cancer in both the right and the left colon.  This is very good to know before I undergo my own screening colonoscopy.

They also conclude that screening sigmoidoscopy reduced risk for left-sided colorectal cancer, but had a statistically nonsignificant effect on risk for right-sided, late state colon cancer.

There are of course limitations to the study (small numbers of people who were screened, lack of clarity about whether the test was truly for screening or to evaluate symptoms), but overall, it does seem that this study supports the use of screening colonoscopy to reduce late-stage CRC diagnoses.  This is a big “whew” as I get ready for my own bout with the prep and the scope.

TAGGED:colonoscopymedical screening
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

technology in medical research
The Tools Helping Medical Researchers See the Full Picture
News Technology
August 3, 2025
5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
Health
July 31, 2025
holistic dental
Holistic Dentist Services Are Natural and Safe
Dental health Specialties
July 28, 2025
botox certification
Help Improve People’s Skin Health Via Botox Certification
Skin Specialties
July 22, 2025

You Might also Like

PTSD
SpecialtiesWellness

PTSD Accelerates Weight Gain, Increases Obesity Risk In Women

November 24, 2013
ageism
Specialties

Three Causes of Age Stereotypes

May 30, 2013

September is Cancer Awareness Month For Five Cancers. . .

August 31, 2012
health pollution cancer
Specialties

Air Pollution Causes Cancer: WHO Says We Must Act “Without Further Delay”

October 20, 2013
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?