Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Colonoscopy Should Be Targeted at High-Risk Patients

by Becky McCall

Surveillance colonoscopy should target individuals with high risk for colorectal cancer who are most likely to benefit, according to a new study published in Gastroenterology.

Headed by Sameer Dev Saini, MD, MS, clinical lecturer in the Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, the study examined the cost-effectiveness of various surveillance strategies and concluded that overuse of colonoscopy as a surveillance tool aimed at decreasing the burden of colorectal cancer can be excessively costly, and even harmful.

The American College of Gastroenterologists currently recommends that patients with colonic adenomas undergo surveillance colonoscopy every 5 to 10 years, but Dr. Saini questioned whether this strategy made health-economic sense.
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