Screening for colorectal cancer may be beneficial for men

According to a recent study, screening for colorectal cancer may be beneficial for men but no similar benefit has been observed in women.

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 to investigate the potential benefits and drawbacks of national screening for colorectal cancer.

The study targeted people aged 60 to 69 and just under half of the age group, just over 300,000 people, had been randomized by the end of 2011. Half of the study population was invited to participate in screening, 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 referred for colonoscopy.

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

"Virtually no cancer screening has had an impact on overall mortality, however, they may still be useful in other ways." We wanted to investigate whether patients could avoid more intense treatments. They were participating in colorectal cancer screening, "said Dr. Laura Koskenvuo.

The study examined data from about 1,400 patients 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 had 50% more emergency surgeries, 40% incomplete tumor removals and 20% more chemotherapy treatments than patients in the screening group," said Assistant Professor Ville Sallinen, gastrointestinal surgeon.

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

In addition, the researchers found that screening was the most effective at detecting left colorectal cancer and that the results were without benefit to patients with right-sided cancer, perhaps because the blood oozing Tumors on the right side become so diluted that it passes through the colon that gFOBT can no longer detect it.

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

(This story has not been changed by Business Standard staff and is generated automatically from a syndicated feed.)