The results of a new study show colonoscopy with polypectomy significantly reduces incidence of colorectal cancer in the general population, according to a news release (pdf).
The study, conducted by researchers in Switzerland, appears in the July issue of GIE: Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, the journal of the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy.
The researchers compared the incidence of and mortality from colorectal cancer among individuals screened by colonoscopy and non-screened individuals. The study involved 1,912 screened patients and 20,774 non-screened control participants.
A total of 12 colorectal cancer cases were identified in the screening group while 213 cases of colorectal cancer were found in the non-screened group. One of the 12 persons of the screened individuals with a colorectal cancer and 51 of the 213 persons of the non-screened individuals with a colorectal cancer died because of their cancers.
"In contrast to earlier colorectal cancer screening studies that used colonoscopy, this population-based closed cohort observational study aimed to obtain complete and comparable data on colorectal cancer incidence and colorectal cancer-related mortality after a single screening colonoscopy compared with no screening, while taking into account the potential differences in risk profiles between the screened and non-screened participants," said study lead author Urs A. Marbet, Cantonal Hospital of Uri, Altdorf, Switzerland, in the release. "We found that colorectal cancer screening by colonoscopy markedly reduces not only the incidence of colorectal cancer, but also cancer- related death. We are unaware of any other long-term prospective study assessing the role of colonoscopy screening for the reduction of colorectal cancer incidence and mortality in a well-defined, population-based setting under real-life conditions."
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