Academic Journal
Main Category: Colorectal Cancer
Also Included In: GastroIntestinal / Gastroenterology; Cancer / Oncology
Article Date: 12 Dec 2011 - 9:00 PST
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Bowel cancer is responsible for 16,000 deaths annually in the UK alone. Bowel cancer is the second leading cause of death in the UK and Europe after lung cancer. The chances of survival are only 50% in the UK, and even remarkably lower in other similar countries.
According to an analysis of the first one million test results of the Bowel Cancer Screening Program in England that aims to cut bowel cancer deaths by 16%, the program is on target. The findings, published in Gut, also reveal that a significantly higher proportion of identified cancers are left-sided. According to researchers, this indicates that different strategies may have to be employed to pick up the disease in both sides of the body as right-sided cancers are believed to be more aggressive.
The Bowel Cancer Screening Program in the UK was started in 2006, and expanded nationwide by the end of 2009 to include those between the ages of 60 to 69 years and has been extended to those aged 70 years or older since then. The screening consists of three exams every two years. By October 2008, more than two million individuals had been invited to join the program. Approximately half accepted, almost 50% of those who took up the offer were male and nearly 55% were female. According to preliminary results, an average of 55 to 60% of returns came from four provincial areas with lower returns in London averaging only 40%.
The findings are based on an analysis of the first 1.08 million faecal occult blood tests that have been returned by patients who accepted the first round of the bowel cancer-screening program.
The researchers discovered, that the analyzed samples of 21,106 people overall revealed that 2.5% of men and 1.5% of women showed abnormal test results from a total of 1.08 million returns. 17,518 people underwent further examinations, which mainly involved a colonoscopy, a procedure in which a long tube with a camera on the end is inserted into the rectum.
The researchers established that men had a higher likelihood of cancer and its immediate precursor of "higher risk adenomas" compared with women. Cancer was detected in 11.6% or one in eight men, whilst precursors where found in 43% or in around four out of 10 men. In women researchers detected 8% of cancer and 29% of precursors.
Overall, 71% or seven out of the 10 cancers were identified in the early stage of the disease. As expected, the findings showed right-sided cancer to be more prevalent in women than in men, although according to figures obtained from cancer registries, left-sided cancers were significantly more common than expected.
According to these figures, approximately two thirds (67%) of bowel cancers identified by the screening program were estimated to be left-sided and about 24%, or one in four right-sided, however, the researchers established that 77%, or three out of four cancers identified through the screening program were left-sided and 14% were right-sided.
The authors highlight the fact that research suggests right-sided cancers to be more aggressive with a lesser chance of being identified though screening and conclude: "Different screening strategies may be required to effectively screen for right-sided bowel cancer."
Written by: Petra Rattue
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today
MLA
13 Dec. 2011.
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