The role of endoscopy, in particular colonoscopy, clearly is paramount in the screening,
diagnosis, and prevention of colorectal cancer. In preparation for writing this ”state-of-the-art”
review on colon polyps and cancer, a PubMed literature search linking the topic with
endoscopy yielded an enormous number of papers published in peer-reviewed journals
just in the past 12 months. I have selected a few of these to highlight that I believe
are most germane to current issues of risk stratification, screening and surveillance,
prevention, and the premalignant potential of different types of adenomas detected
by endoscopy. Several of these papers address the advantages and limitations of direct
colonoscopy screening for colorectal neoplasia, and discuss the emerging role of virtual
colonoscopy screening.
References
- 1
Harewood G C, Lieberman D A.
Colonoscopy practice patterns since introduction of Medicare coverage for average-risk
screening.
Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol.
2004;
2
72-77
- 2
Mysliwiec P A, Brown M L, Dlabunde C N, Ransohoff D F.
Are physicians doing too much colonoscopy? A national survey of colorectal surveillance
after polypectomy.
Ann Intern Med.
2004;
141
264-271
- 3
Rex O K, Cutler C S, Lemmel G T. et al .
Colonoscopic miss rates of adenomas determined by back-to-back colonoscopies.
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1997;
112
24-28
- 4
Hixson L J, Fennerty M B, Sampliner R E. et al .
Prospective blinded trial of the colonoscopic miss-rate of large colorectal polyps.
Gastrointest Endosc.
1991;
37
125-127
- 5
Pickhardt P J, Nugent P A, Mysliwiec P A. et al .
Location of adenomas missed by optical colonoscopy.
Ann Intern Med.
2004;
141
352-359
- 6
Rex D K, Rahmani E Y, Haseman J H. et al .
Relative sensitivity of colonoscopy and barium enema for detection of colorectal cancer
in clinical practice.
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1997;
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- 7
Bressler B, Paszat L F, Vinden C. et al .
Colonoscopic miss rates for right-sided colon cancer: a population-based analysis.
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2004;
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452-456
- 8
Leaper M, Johnston M J, Barclay M. et al .
Reasons for failure to diagnose colorectal carcinoma at colonoscopy.
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2004;
36
499-503
- 9
Bretthauer M, Skovlund E, Grotmol T.
Inter-endoscopist variation in polyp and neoplasia pick-up rates in flexible sigmoidoscopy
screening for colorectal cancer.
Scand J Gastroenterol.
2003;
38
1268-1274
- 10
Sanchez W, Harewood G C, Petersen B T.
Evaluation of polyp detection in relation to procedure time of screening or surveillance
colonoscopy.
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2004;
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- 11
Ball J E, Osbourne J, Jowett . et al .
Quality improvement programme to achieve acceptable colonoscopy completion rates:
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2004;
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- 12
Rex D K, Bond J H, Winawer S. et al .
Quality in the technical performance of colonoscopy and the continuous quality improvement
process for colonoscopy: recommendations of the U.S. Multi-Society Task Force on Colorectal
Cancer.
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2002;
97
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- 13
Fenlon H M, Nunes D P, Schroy P C. et al .
A comparison of virtual and conventional colonoscopy for the detection of colorectal
polyps.
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- 14
Yee J, Akerkar G A, Hung R K. et al .
Colorectal neoplasia: performance characteristics of CT colonography for detection
in 300 patients.
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2001;
219
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- 15
Pineau B C, Paskett E D, Chen G J. et al .
Virtual colonoscopy using oral contrast compared with colonoscopy for the detection
of patients with colorectal polyps.
Gastroenterology.
2003;
125
304-310
- 16
Johnson C D, Harmen W S, Wilson L A. et al .
Prospective blinded evaluation of computed tomographic colonography for screen-detection
of colorectal polyps.
Gastroenterology.
2003;
125
311-319
- 17
Cotton P B, Durkalski V, Pineau B C. et al .
Computed tomographic colonography (virtual colonoscopy).
JAMA.
2004;
291
1713-1719
- 18
Pickhardt P J, Choi J R, Hwang I. et al .
Computed tomographic virtual colonoscopy to screen for colorectal neoplasia in asymptomatic
adults.
N Engl J Med.
2003;
349
2191-2200
- 19
Nelson D B, McQuaid K R, Bond J H. et al .
Procedural success and complications of large-scale screening colonoscopy.
Gastrointest Endosc.
2002;
55
307-314
- 20
Lieberman D A, Weiss D G, VA C ooperative.
One-time screening for colorectal cancer with combined fecal occult blood testing
and examination of the distal colon.
N Engl J Med.
2001;
345
555-560
- 21
Lieberman D A, Weiss D G, Bond J H. et al .
Use of colonoscopy to screen asymptomatic adults for colorectal cancer.
N Engl J Med.
2000;
343
162-168
- 22
Lieberman D A, Prindiville S, Weiss D G. et al .
Risk factors for advanced colonic neoplasia and hyperplastic polyps in asymptomatic
individuals.
JAMA.
2003;
290
2959-2967
- 23
Sandler R S, Halabi S, Baron J A. et al .
A randomized trial of aspirin to prevent colorectal adenomas in patients with previous
colorectal cancer.
N Engl J Med.
2003;
348
883-890
- 24
Baron J A, Cole B F, Sandler R S. et al .
A randomized trial of aspirin to prevent colorectal adenomas.
N Engl J Med.
2003;
348
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- 25
Burt R W, Leppert M F, Slattery M L. et al .
Genetic testing and phenotype in a large kindred with attenuated familial adenomatous
polyposis.
Gastroenterology.
2004;
127
444-451
- 26
Winawer S J, Zauber A G, Gerdes H. et al .
and the National Polyp Study Workgroup. Risk of colorectal cancer in the families
of patients with adenomatous polyps.
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- 27
Lynch K L, Ahnen D J, Byers T. et al .
First-degree relatives of patients with advanced colorectal adenomas have increased
prevalence of colorectal cancer.
Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol.
2003;
1
96-102
- 28
Muto T, Kamiya J, Sawada T. et al .
Small flat adenoma of the large bowel with special reference to its clinicopathologic
features.
Dis Colon Rectum.
1985;
28
847-851
- 29
O’Brien M J, Winawer S J, Zauber A G. et al .
Flat adenomas in the National Polyp Study: is there increased risk for high-grade
dysplasia initially or during surveillance?.
Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol.
2004;
2
905-911
- 30
Diebold M D, Samalin E, Merle C. et al .
Colonic flat neoplasia: frequency and concordance between endoscopic appearance and
histological diagnosis in a French prospective series.
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2004;
99
1795-1800
- 31
Pinsky P F, Schoen R E, Weissfeld J L. et al .
Predictors of advanced proximal neoplasia in persons with abnormal screening flexible
sigmoidoscopy.
Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol.
2003;
1
103-110
J. H. Bond, M. D.
Gastroenterology Section (111D), VA Medical Center
One Veterans Drive · Minneapolis, MN 554l7 · USA
Fax: + 1-612-725-2248
eMail: John.Bond@med.va.gov