A study examined bowel cancer incidence and mortality rates in Austria over the last decade.
Monika Ferlitsch, MD, from the Department of Medicine III at MedUni Vienna and Vienna General Hospital in Austria, and colleagues analyzed 159,246 colonoscopies between 2007 and 2014.
Here's what they found:
1. Researchers discovered a significant increase in adenomas during the observation period, while noting a significant drop in advanced change rates.
2. Patients' mean screen age was 61.6 years, and 49.1 percent of study subjects were women.
3. Each of the 301 endoscopists studied increased their adenoma detection rate by 1.5 percentage points every two years.
4. Detection rates for proximal lesions increased from 15.8 percent to 21.7 percent.
Researchers concluded, "The results confirm that there has been a clear improvement in the quality of screening examinations. We discover changes earlier and more frequently, thus preventing tumours from developing or metastasising."
The study shows a 20 percent decrease in incidence rate and a 30 percent decrease in mortality rate.
Researchers will present the study at the 10th European Federation for ColoRectal Cancer Congress in MedUni Vienna from April 20 to April 22.