When Given a Choice, Patients Choose Colonoscopy

Many colorectal cancer (CRC) screening guidelines offer patients and providers a menu of screening options from which to choose, but little is known about which test patients actually prefer.

To fill this knowledge gap, researchers recruited 2731 asymptomatic Swiss residents (age, 50–80) and offered them CRC screening with their choice of annual fecal occult blood testing (FOBT), flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years, a combination of the two every 5 years, or colonoscopy. Recruitment was accompanied by a public-awareness campaign and supported by national television and local general practitioners.

Seventy-five percent of the participants chose colonoscopy, 11% chose FOBT, 10% chose FOBT plus flexible sigmoidoscopy, and 4% chose flexible sigm…