BACKGROUND: The Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care has recommended the use of annual or biennial fecal occult blood testing (FOBT) and flexible sigmoidoscopy in the periodic health examination of asymptomatic people over 50 years of age. Therefore, we decided to ascertain the current colorectal cancer (CRC) screening practices and attitudes of surgeons, gastroenterologists and internists. METHODS: In June 2002 (with a final mailing in December 2002), a questionnaire was sent to all gastroenterologists, internists and surgeons in Alberta. It included items on demographic and practice characteristics, CRC screening practices and opinions about CRC screening. RESULTS: Responses were received from 42 gastroenterologists, 83 internists and 68 surgeons. Overall, 141 of 187 respondents (75.4%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 68.6%-81.4%) recommended that average-risk adults undergo CRC screening. Internists were less likely to recommend screening than either gastroenterologists or surgeons (95% CI for the difference 7.2%-32.8%). The most commonly recommended screening test was colonoscopy (70%), followed by FOBT (65%), flexible sigmoidoscopy (47%) and air-contrast barium enema (31%). Colonoscopy was the only test recommended by 7 (22.6%) of 33 gastroenterologists, 9 (16.4%) of 59 surgeons and 3 (6.1%) of 49 internists. Respondents were more likely to list barriers to the use of colonoscopy (mean 5 barriers) for screening than for either FOBT or flexible sigmoidoscopy (mean 2 barriers for both tests). Only 3 respondents indicated that they themselves would not undergo screening. Colonoscopy was the only screening test that 135 (70.0%) of the 193 would themselves undergo. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of Alberta specialists recommend CRC screening for average-risk adults. Colonoscopy was the most commonly recommended test, despite the perception of more barriers to that technique and the 2001 guidelines prepared by the Canadian Task Force for Preventive Health Care, which did not support colonoscopy.
BACKGROUND: The Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care has recommended the use of annual or biennial fecal occult blood testing (FOBT) and flexible sigmoidoscopy in the periodic health examination of asymptomatic people over 50 years of age. Therefore, we decided to ascertain the current colorectal cancer (CRC) screening practices and attitudes of surgeons, gastroenterologists and internists. METHODS: In June 2002 (with a final mailing in December 2002), a questionnaire was sent to all gastroenterologists, internists and surgeons in Alberta. It included items on demographic and practice characteristics, CRC screening practices and opinions about CRC screening. RESULTS: Responses were received from 42 gastroenterologists, 83 internists and 68 surgeons. Overall, 141 of 187 respondents (75.4%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 68.6%-81.4%) recommended that average-risk adults undergo CRC screening. Internists were less likely to recommend screening than either gastroenterologists or surgeons (95% CI for the difference 7.2%-32.8%). The most commonly recommended screening test was colonoscopy (70%), followed by FOBT (65%), flexible sigmoidoscopy (47%) and air-contrast barium enema (31%). Colonoscopy was the only test recommended by 7 (22.6%) of 33 gastroenterologists, 9 (16.4%) of 59 surgeons and 3 (6.1%) of 49 internists. Respondents were more likely to list barriers to the use of colonoscopy (mean 5 barriers) for screening than for either FOBT or flexible sigmoidoscopy (mean 2 barriers for both tests). Only 3 respondents indicated that they themselves would not undergo screening. Colonoscopy was the only screening test that 135 (70.0%) of the 193 would themselves undergo. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of Alberta specialists recommend CRC screening for average-risk adults. Colonoscopy was the most commonly recommended test, despite the perception of more barriers to that technique and the 2001 guidelines prepared by the Canadian Task Force for Preventive Health Care, which did not support colonoscopy.
Authors: S N Glick; P W Ralls; D M Balfe; R L Bree; D J DiSantis; R Kidd; M S Levine; A J Megibow; D G Mezwa; S Saini; W P Shuman; F L Greene; L A Laine; K Lillemoe Journal: Radiology Date: 2000-06 Impact factor: 11.105
Authors: David E Nelson; Shayne Bland; Eve Powell-Griner; Richard Klein; Henry E Wells; Gary Hogelin; James S Marks Journal: JAMA Date: 2002 May 22-29 Impact factor: 56.272
Authors: Sidney Winawer; Robert Fletcher; Douglas Rex; John Bond; Randall Burt; Joseph Ferrucci; Theodore Ganiats; Theodore Levin; Steven Woolf; David Johnson; Lynne Kirk; Scott Litin; Clifford Simmang Journal: Gastroenterology Date: 2003-02 Impact factor: 22.682