MONDAY, April 23, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- Flexible sigmoidoscopy screening is associated with reduced colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence and mortality in men, but not women, according to a study published online April 24 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
The exclusion criteria were a history of colorectal cancer, adenomas, or inflammatory bowel disease; life expectancy of <5 years; flexible sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy procedure within the previous 3 years, or were unable to provide informed consent.
Other options now recommended include computed tomographic colonography (CTC), fecal immunochemical tests with DNA (FITDNA), guaiac-based fecal occult blood testing (gFOBT), and sigmoidoscopy plus FIT.
"Flexible sigmoidoscopy does not diagnose right-sided colon cancers, and with FOBT, patients must sample their stool and have it test negative three different times before they can be considered truly negative."
Flexible sigmoidoscopy involves inserting a small malleable scope via the anus to examine the last third of the large intestine (colon) where most cancers originate.
According to Imperiale, the findings suggest that for women under 70, sigmoidoscopy - which uses a long flexible tube equipped with a tiny video camera to see the interior of the colon -could be adequate as an initial colon cancer screening.
In addition, results from the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer (PLCO) Screening Trial showed that study participants in the flexible sigmoidoscopy group had a 26% reduction m overall colorectal cancer mortality and a 50% reduction in mortality related to distal colorectal cancer, compared with the usual-care group.
Nick Phillips of Bowel Cancer Wales, who has campaigned for flexible sigmoidoscopy - also known as flexi-sig - said: "This can reduce both the incidence rate of bowel cancer and fatalities - we shouldn't have to chase after these developments in screening.
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