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Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in North America. Screening programs for early CRC detection — including rectal exam with fecal occult blood testing, sigmoidoscopy, colonoscopy, and, more recently, computed tomography colonography (JW Oncol Hematol Sep 17 2008) — appear to have lowered CRC mortality. However, because of the complexity, expense, and invasive nature of approaches such as screening colonoscopy, examining the utility of these procedures is critical for optimizing allocation of healthcare resources.
To assess this issue further, Canadian researchers conducted a retrospective, case-control screening colonoscopy study involving more than 10,000 CRC patien…