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Screening for colorectal cancer (CRC) reduces the risk for cancer death. To examine the effect on CRC mortality of failures in the screening process (e.g., not being screened, inadequate follow-up of abnormal screening results), investigators retrospectively examined screening histories of 1750 enrollees of two large integrated healthcare systems who died of CRC between 2006 and 2012.
Receipt of screening was defined as colonoscopy within 10 years, sigmoidoscopy or barium enema within 5 years, or fecal testing within 2 years of CRC diagnosis. About 3500 cancer-free patients were identified for comparison purposes. Results were as follows:
Most patients (76%) who died of CRC had an identifiable failure in the screening process, including failu…