Long-Term Follow-up of Colon Cancer Screening Trials

Clinical Takeaway

: Screening reduced cancer incidence during longer-term follow-up of two randomized controlled trials, but men benefited more than women, and the mortality effect remains uncertain.

Context

Although prior data suggested substantial benefit from colorectal cancer (CRC) screening, the 2022 results from NordICC, the first randomized controlled trial (RCT) to evaluate screening colonoscopy, told a different story: a less-impressive effect on CRC incidence than previously assumed, and no mortality benefit. Now, two publications provide longer-term follow-up data from NordICC and from an earlier RCT looking at flexible sigmoidoscopy.

Key Results

Kaminsky and colleagues analyzed 13-year outcomes from NordICC, which compared a single colonoscopy (performed in 42% of those invited) to no screening among 85,000 people 55 to 64 years of age in 3 European countries. Those offered screening had lower CRC incidence (absolute risk reduc…

Reviewing Author

Sarah E. Post, M.D.

Disclosures

Nothing to disclose