Posted on 04/06/2023 8:28:03 PM PDT by ConservativeMind
About 95% of people with bowel cancer survive if it is identified early, so increased screening is vital.
Yet more than 60% of those at increased risk are not being screened and almost 20% of people at average risk are having unnecessary colonoscopies.
How can screening be improved in the most impactful and cost-effective way?
To find out, our team tested a new method of risk-based colorectal cancer screening within a general practice setting.
This is where the Colorectal cancer RISk Predictor tool (CRISP) comes in—a web-based risk assessment and decision support tool that improves appropriate screening for bowel cancer in a general practice setting.
CRISP calculates an individual's personal five-year and lifetime risk of developing bowel cancer and will recommend and encourage the right type of screening for a person's risk.
It presents information about the potential benefits and harms of different screening tests and recommends the most appropriate screening (such as the poo-test kit or a colonoscopy) at an individual rather than population level.
Using the CRISP tool has been shown to help people to complete the most appropriate type of screening according to their risk of bowel cancer in those who were due to be screened.
A randomized controlled trial implementing CRISP in GP settings showed that for those people who were due screening, the use of CRISP, being shown how to use the poo-test kit, an SMS reminder and encouragement from their GP resulted in 20% more people doing the appropriate bowel cancer screening.
While researchers recommend the implementation of CRISP within a general practice setting, the CRISP tool is freely available online, so individuals could use it to create a report as a starting point for conversations with their doctor.
(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...
I have no family history of colon cancer so my doctor set me up with the Colon Guard mail in test.
It came back negative.
That was 5 years ago.
Interesting.Thanks!
Fairly big obstacle to colonoscopy is the inability to drive for until the next day.
It turns out this specification evolved when the sedative used was not Propofol, which is used today. And driving skill tests have been given to a random trial before Propofol. And then again after consciousness re-acquired.
It was found nearly all people have their driving skills return to pre Propofol levels at 2 hours after end of the sedation. But the rules will remain what they are for some time.
Note also it is essentially common in Europe to have colonoscopy with no sedation.
Of course if you have no anesthesia your good to go.
There is a 15 to 20% false result in those. So keep that in mind.
False positive or false negative.
The CRISP info is suspect. It talks about the risk of death from a colonoscopy as if it is greater than anything. The reality (that the Aussies even provide) is that there are 19/100,000 deaths in 5 years with the faecal blood test alone. There are 23/100,000 in 5 years with a colonoscopy. Very little difference.
When I had colo-rectal cancer in 1996, my oncologist reminded me that those figures include everyone with the cancer, most of whom are old to start with. The chances of a 70-year old person dying in 5 years tend to be high to start with.
I was 42 when I had cancer, and I met a guy in the treatment center with the same oncologist and diagnosis who was 28. He had every side-effect under the sun, while I had only diahreaa.
It's not very expensive. I'd do it again.
bkmk
Note also it is essentially common in Europe to have colonoscopy with no sedation.
Those savages…
I’m scheduled to have my next one at the end of May. My wife is my driver.
What’s interesting is that over the years I’ve noticed that the level of anesthesia, or maybe the type of anesthesia has maybe changed from time to time, because in some instances it seems like I’m totally put to sleep, and in others I can remember the procedure.
I’m a cancer risk. I was diagnosed 29 years ago with pancolitis, and have numerous polyps removed. More colonoscopies than I can remember. The last one I had removed was rather large, 30mm diameter. This morning I’m getting some more blood drawn, my hemoglobin is below safe limits because I’ve been having a lot of bleeding lately, and my GI doc might have me get a transfusion.
It is what it is.
Those anesthesiologists are artists at what they do. God Bless them.
Have a Blessed Easter, I know I will!🙂🙏
I was given the Colon Guard test, too. Negative, thank goodness.
False Negative
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