Colorectal cancer screening may be beneficial for men

Washington D.C. – According to a recent study, colorectal cancer screening may be beneficial for male patients, while women did not benefit from similar benefits.

The study was published in the British Journal of Surgery. Colorectal cancer is the third most common form of cancer in the world. Each year, approximately 3,000 new cases are diagnosed and approximately 1,200 patients die.

Between 2004 and 2016, an extensive screening program was conducted in Finland with the aim of studying the potential benefits and harms of a national screening for colorectal cancer.

The study targeted people aged 60 to 69 and more than half of the age group, just over 300,000 people, were randomized at the end of 2011. The half of the study population was invited to participate in screening, while the other half of the age cohort served as a control group. Fecal occult blood test (FOBT) tests were used during screening, and patients with a positive blood test were colonoscopically screened.

The first study based on screening results did not reveal any significant decrease in mortality. 2016. However, researchers from the Helsinki University Hospital and the Finnish Cancer Registry wanted to examine whether screening had brought benefits to patients with colorectal cancer.

"No cancer screening had an impact on overall mortality, however it was found that We would like to know if patients could avoid more intense treatments if they participated in screening for cancer. colorectal cancer, "said Dr. Laura Koskenvuo.

The study examined data from approximately 1,400 data. patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer. The results indicated that among patients in the screening group, the surgical removal of an entire tumor was more effective than in the control group and that they were less likely to require chemotherapy. Patients in the screening group were also less likely to have emergency surgery because of their tumor than patients in the control group.

"The control group included 50% more emergency surgeries, 40% incomplete tumor removals, and 20% chemotherapy treatments." Patients in the screening group, said Deputy Professor Ville Sallinen , gastrointestinal surgeon.

A closer inspection of the results showed that these benefits were particularly prevalent among male patients. Similar benefits have not been observed in women.

In addition, researchers found that screening was most effective at detecting left colorectal cancer and that screening had no benefit for patients with right-sided cancer, probably because of blood . Tumor seeps on the right side become so diluted as they pbad through the colon that the gFOBT can no longer detect them.

"In the future, we need to examine whether different screening techniques could improve the patient's situation and facilitate treatment – colorectal cancer diagnosis on the right side," said the researchers.

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