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Summaries for Patients are a service provided by Annals to help patients better understand the complicated and often mystifying language of modern medicine.
Patients should discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the various colorectal cancer screening tests with their doctors to decide which test is best for them. The frequency of screening depends on the test a patient uses: every 1 to 2 years for FOBT, every 5 years for sigmoidoscopy and barium enema, and every 10 years for colonoscopy.
SUMMARIES FOR PATIENTS
Screening for Colorectal Cancer: Recommendations from the United States Preventive Services Task Force
16 July 2002 | Volume 137 Issue 2 | Page I-38
Summaries for Patients are presented for informational purposes only. These summaries are not a substitute for advice from your own medical provider. If you have questions about this material, or need medical advice about your own health or situation, please contact your physician. The summaries may be reproduced for not-for-profit educational purposes only. Any other uses must be approved by the American College of Physicians-American Society of Internal Medicine.
The summary below is from the full reports titled "Cost-Effectiveness Analyses of Colorectal Cancer Screening: A Systematic Review for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force," "Screening for Colorectal Cancer: Recommendation and Rationale," and "Screening for Colorectal Cancer in Adults at Average Risk: A Summary of the Evidence for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force." They are in the 16 July 2002 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine (volume 137, pages 96-104, 129-131, and 132-141). The first report was written by M Pignone, S Saha, T Hoerger, and J Mandelblatt; the second report was written by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force; and the third report was written by M Pignone, M Rich, SM Teutsch, AO Berg, and KN Lohr.
What is the United States Preventive Services Task Force?
The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) is a group of physicians and health care experts that reviews published research and makes recommendations about preventive health care.
What is the problem and what is known about it so far?
Colorectal cancer is one of the most common types of cancer. Screening prevents colorectal cancer deaths by 1) finding and removing noncancerous outgrowths of the colon or rectum [polyps] before they become cancer and 2) finding cancer at early, curable stages. Available screening tests include fecal occult blood testing (FOBT), sigmoidoscopy, colonoscopy, and barium enema. Fecal occult blood testing uses a chemical reaction to find traces of blood in stool. Polyps and cancer can cause blood to leak into the stool, so a positive result on FOBT suggests the need for further testing. Sigmoidoscopy involves looking into the rectum and lower colon through a flexible tube-shaped instrument; colonoscopy uses a similar but longer instrument to look at the entire length of the colon. Doctors can take samples of the colon (biopsies) and remove polyps during both procedures. Barium enema involves taking x-rays of the abdomen after putting barium (a material that appears white on x-ray) into a person's colon by enema. If x-rays indicate a lesion in the colon, follow-up testing with colonoscopy is needed. Fecal occult blood testing is inexpensive, colonoscopy is expensive, and sigmoidoscopy and barium enema are moderately priced.
How did the USPSTF develop these recommendations?
The USPSTF reviewed published research to evaluate the benefits, harms, and costs of screening for colorectal cancer.
What did the authors find?
Several high-quality studies show that FOBT helps to decrease colorectal cancer deaths by up to one third among adults over age 50. Studies showing the effectiveness of sigmoidoscopy and colonoscopy are of lower quality but also show benefits. Barium enema can also detect polyps and cancer, but the effect of barium enema on deaths from colorectal cancer is unknown. Existing studies are unable to tell us which test is best. The seven studies of the cost-effectiveness of colorectal cancer screening found all tests to be cost-effective but could not identify a single best strategy or determine the best age to start and stop screening.
What does the USPSTF suggest that patients do?
The USPSTF strongly recommends that adults begin screening for colorectal cancer at age 50, the age at which risk starts to increase in the general population. The best options for screening include FOBT, sigmoidoscopy (alone or with FOBT), or colonoscopy. Barium enema is also an option, but it is less accurate than colonoscopy and its effects on colorectal cancer deaths are unknown. The Task Force did not recommend a specific screening test.
What are the cautions related to these recommendations?
These recommendations do not apply to people who have a family history or a personal history that puts them at high risk for colorectal cancer. As better studies become available, the USPSTF may modify these recommendations.
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