Radiography" href="/tag/Digital-Radiography.html">Digital Radiography: According to a new study, directing colonoscopy screening programs for high risk patients for colon cancer shows benefits and is cost effective. However, the over use of colonoscopy screening program can be very costly and even results in adverse effects on patients. The study was published in Gastroenterology, the official journal of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Institute.
Sameer Dev Saini, MD, MS, of the Ann Arbor VA Health Services Research & Development Center of Excellence, the lead author of the study, said "Surveillance colonoscopy is a widely accepted and utilized practice that has the potential to decrease the burden of colorectal cancer. Yet, this practice also carries considerable monetary and resource costs as well as the risk of procedure-related complications," he added "Despite these concerns, data supporting the long-term effectiveness of surveillance colonoscopy and the choice of optimal surveillance strategy are limited." The currently applied guidelines for colonoscopy screening programs recommend patients with chronic adenomas to have surveillance colonoscopy. The procedure is carried out to detect any abnormal structures in colon, determine if they were malignant or benign, and then remove them.
In the study, Dr. Saini and his colleagues aimed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of colonoscopy screening programs. The researching team used existing data to assess the effectiveness and cost utility of surveillance. The result of the study showed that conducting colonoscopy every three years for high-risk patients and every 10 years for low-risk patients (3/10 strategy) was more costly. However, such an approach is more effective than carrying on with no surveillance program at all.