Colon cancer screenings could pose harm to some

Even though current guidelines advocate colorectal cancer screenings for those with severe illnesses, they may bring little benefit and may actually pose harm, according to a recent study by Yale School of Medicine researchers published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

The study offers a new approach for assessing who is likely to benefit from a screening so that screening recommendations can be tailored more effectively to individual patients.

First author R. Scott Braithwaite, M.D., and his colleagues developed a new method of evaluating medical screening tests like colonoscopy, called the "payoff time," which is the minimum amount of time it takes for the benefits from a test to exceed its harms (i.e., its complications and side effects). The method can also be applied to patients of any age and illness.

To estimate the payoff time for using colonoscopy to screen for colorectal cancer, the team focused on two patient groups that included 50-year-old men with HIV, and 60-year-old women with congestive heart failure.

Braithwaite said the payoff time for colorectal cancer screening was as long as five years for 50-year-old men and as long as 2.9 years for 60-year-old women. Because patients with severe congestive heart failure have a life expectancy of less than 2.9 years, they were more likely to be harmed than benefited by colorectal cancer screening, say the researchers, whereas patients with HIV have a life expectancy of greater than five years, so they were likely to benefit from colorectal cancer screening.

"This issue is only becoming increasingly important as pay-for-performance and physician ‘report cards' encourage clinicians to offer screening to everyone, regardless of individual benefit," said Braithwaite, assistant professor of medicine at Yale School of Medicine and at the VA Connecticut Healthcare System. "This may have the unintended consequence of harming patients with severe illnesses."

Braithwaite added that the "cocktail" of therapies that have revolutionized HIV care have increased life expectancy so much that screening guidelines now apply to patients with HIV.

Other authors on the study included John Concato, M.D., Chung Chou Chang, Mark S. Roberts, M.D. and Amy C. Justice, M.D.

The study was supported by a grant from the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health.

Citation: Archives of Internal Medicine Vol. 167, No. 21 (November 26, 2007)



(Editor compiled and published Colon cancer screenings could pose harm to some at HealthNewsTrack on December 4, 2007 sourced from Yale University - http://www.yale.edu/opa/newsr/07-12-03-02.all.html)

Colon cancer - recent articles and current news stories:

- New class of cancer drugs could work in colon cancers with genetic mutation
- New stool test to predict colon cancer
- Obesity in colon cancer patients increases mortality
- Young women with colon cancer lived longer than men
- New blood test promise diagnosis of colon cancer

Most related articles:

- Colon cancer screenings could pose harm to some
- Obesity in colon cancer patients increases mortality - 5.6
- Cancer screening in older adults appears common, US - 5.6
- Breast cancer funding restored by Komen Foundation to Planned Parenthood - 5.5
- Rectal cancer rates rising in young individuals in US - 5.1

More related articles:

- Colon cancer, Screening, Colorectal cancer, Medicine, Colonoscopy, HIV, Heart failure, Alcohol Abuse, Alcoholism, Health, Internal Medicine
- Colonoscopy's limitation for right sided colon cancer - 17.6
- Colorectal cancer screening guidelines update - 16
- New blood test promise diagnosis of colon cancer - 15.1
- Colonoscopy associated with reduced colorectal cancer incidence - 15

Colon cancer related articles:

- Obesity in colon cancer patients increases mortality - 5.6
- Rectal cancer rates rising in young individuals in US - 5.1
- How diarrheal bacteria cause some colon cancers revealed - 4.8
- Surgery not necessary for most late stage colorectal cancers - 4.7
- Colon cancer's genetic link to obesity - 4.7

Colon cancer article/news source:

Read more health articles from Yale University and health articles from USA.

Colon cancer - search related terms:

Alcohol Abuse, Alcoholism, Colon cancer, Colonoscopy, Colorectal cancer, HIV, Health, Heart failure, Internal Medicine, Medicine, Screening,
Colon cancer books,

List health news, Health organizations, Health news world, Glossary, Best health articles, Featured     Go to top

The information provided on Health Newstrack is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between a patient/site visitor and his/her physician. We comply with the HONcode principles for trustworthy health information, and Health News Track is hon code accredited, verify here.
About us, Site map Privacy policy, Disclaimer
© 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 HealthNewsTrack.com
4.94