Screening and Surveillance Colonoscopy
| Authors | |
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| Year of publication | 2011 |
| Type | Chapter of a book |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Description | Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most frequent malignant disease in Europe. Every year, 412,000 people are diagnosed with this condition, and 207,000 patients die of it. Secondary prevention of CRC consists of early diagnosis of the disease in asymptomatic individuals (screening) and long term follow up of high risk patients (surveillance). Three groups of screening methods are currently available: stool testing (guaiac or immunochemical fecal occult blood tests – gFOBT and FIT respectively and DNA tests), endoscopic examinations (flexible sigmoidoscopy and colonoscopy) and radiologic examinations (computed tomographic colonography and double contrast barium enema). Colonoscopy is therefore used as the only screening method or as a second step in case of positive results of primary screening examination (two steps screening programs). |