The Effectiveness of Colonoscopy in Reducing Mortality From Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Nancy N. Baxter
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2009)

Letters2 June 2009The Effectiveness of Colonoscopy in Reducing Mortality From Colorectal CancerNancy N. Baxter, MD, PhD and Linda Rabeneck, MD, MPHNancy N. Baxter, MD, PhDFrom St. Michael's Hospital, LiKaShing Knowledge Institute, Toronto, Ontario M5B 1W8, Canada, and Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario M4N 3M5, Canada.Search for more papers by this author and Linda Rabeneck, MD, MPHFrom St. Michael's Hospital, LiKaShing Knowledge Institute, Toronto, Ontario M5B 1W8, Canada, and Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario M4N 3M5, Canada.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-150-11-200906020-00019 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail IN RESPONSE:Our recent study investigating the association between colonoscopy and colorectal cancer mortality has generated substantial interest. The media attention in response to publication of our study has been due, at least in part, to a misinterpretation of our methodology and primary outcome. We did not evaluate the rate of missed cancer cases at colonoscopy, and the degree to which missed cancer cases (or missed precursor lesions) may have contributed to our findings—that colonoscopy is significantly associated with a reduction in mortality from left-sided colorectal cancer but not right-sided colorectal cancer—is unknown. There has been considerable speculation with respect ...References1. Jass JR. Classification of colorectal cancer based on correlation of clinical, morphological and molecular features. Histopathology. 2007;50:113-30. [PMID: 17204026] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar2. Weiss NS, Lazovich D. Case-control studies of screening efficacy: the use of persons newly diagnosed with cancer who later sustain an unfavorable outcome. Am J Epidemiol. 1996;143:319-22. [PMID: 8633615] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. Gupta AK, Melton LJ, Petersen GM, Timmons LJ, Vege SS, Harmsen WS, et al. Changing trends in the incidence, stage, survival, and screen-detection of colorectal cancer: a population-based study. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2005;3:150-8. [PMID: 15704049] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. Brenner H, Chang-Claude J, Seiler CM, Stürmer T, Hoffmeister M. Does a negative screening colonoscopy ever need to be repeated? Gut. 2006;55:1145-50. [PMID: 16469791] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5. Singh G, Mannalithara A, Wang HJ, Graham DJ, Gerson LB, Triadafilopoulos G. Is protection against colorectal cancer good enough: a comparison between sigmoidoscopy and colonoscopy in the general population [Abstract]. Gastroenterology. 2007;132 Suppl 2 A81. Google Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: Nancy N. Baxter, MD, PhD; Linda Rabeneck, MD, MPHAffiliations: From St. Michael's Hospital, LiKaShing Knowledge Institute, Toronto, Ontario M5B 1W8, Canada, and Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario M4N 3M5, Canada.Disclosures: None disclosed. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoAssociation of Colonoscopy and Death From Colorectal Cancer Nancy N. Baxter , Meredith A. Goldwasser , Lawrence F. Paszat , Refik Saskin , David R. Urbach , and Linda Rabeneck The Effectiveness of Colonoscopy in Reducing Mortality From Colorectal Cancer Jordan J. Karlitz The Effectiveness of Colonoscopy in Reducing Mortality From Colorectal Cancer Sanford D. Markowitz , Steven H. Itzkowitz , and Barry M. Berger The Effectiveness of Colonoscopy in Reducing Mortality From Colorectal Cancer Amit Gupta and David A. Ahlquist The Effectiveness of Colonoscopy in Reducing Mortality From Colorectal Cancer Noel S. Weiss and V. Paul Doria-Rose The Effectiveness of Colonoscopy in Reducing Mortality From Colorectal Cancer Stephen M. Picca The Effectiveness of Colonoscopy in Reducing Mortality From Colorectal Cancer Perry J. Pickhardt , David H. Kim , and Cesare Hassan The Effectiveness of Colonoscopy in Reducing Mortality From Colorectal Cancer Joseph Romagnuolo , Alan N. Barkun , and Amee R. Manges Metrics Cited byThe fundamental principles of the European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy guidelines on bowel preparation for screening colonoscopyColorectal Cancer Screening in Women: An Underutilized Lifesaver 2 June 2009Volume 150, Issue 11Page: 819-820KeywordsAdenomasColonoscopyColorectal cancerColorectal cancer screeningFlexible sigmoidoscopyLesionsMortalityOdds ratioPatientsRandomized trials ePublished: 2 June 2009 Issue Published: 2 June 2009 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2009 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...