Differences in Late‐Stage Diagnosis,Treatment, and Colorectal Cancer‐Related Death Between Rural and Urban African Americans and Whites in Georgia

Purpose: Disparities in health outcomes due to a diagnosis of colorectal cancer (CRC) have been reported for a number of demographic groups. This study was conducted to examine the outcomes of late‐stage diagnosis, treatment, and cancer‐related death according to race and geographic residency status (rural vs urban). Methods: This study utilized cross‐sectional and follow‐up data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program for all incident colon and rectal tumors diagnosed for the Atlanta and Rural Georgia Cancer Registries for the years 1992‐2007. Findings: Compared to whites, African Americans had a 40% increased odds (OR, 1.40; 95% CI, 1.30‐1.51) of late‐stage diagnosis, a 50% decreased odds (OR, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.37‐0.68) of having surgery for colon cancer, and a 67% decreased odds (OR, 0.33; 95% CI, 0.25‐0.44) of receiving surgery for rectal cancer. Rural residence was not associated with late stage at diagnosis or receipt of treatment. African Americans had a slightly increased risk of death from colon cancer (HR, 1.11; 95% CI, 1.00‐1.24) and a larger increased risk of death due to rectal cancer (HR, 1.24; 95% CI, 1.14‐1.35). Rural residents experienced a 15% increased risk of death (HR, 1.15; 95% CI, 1.01‐1.32) due to colon cancer. Conclusions: Further investigations should target African Americans and rural residents to gain insight into the etiologic mechanisms responsible for the poorer CRC outcomes experienced by these 2 segments of the population.     

Impact of UK Colorectal Cancer Screening Pilot on hospital diagnostic services

OBJECTIVE: To determine the impact of the UK Colorectal Cancer Screening Pilot on hospital services involved in the diagnosis of colorectal cancer (predominantly colonoscopy, double contrast barium enema and pathology). METHODS: Routine data from seven hospitals at two sites within Scotland and England participating in the Pilot were collected on activity levels and waiting times for key hospital services (GI medicine, surgery and radiology), plus questionnaire survey data from hospital consultants. RESULTS: Hospital colonoscopy activity increased by 31 per cent in Scotland and 21 per cent in England due to the investigation of faecal occult blood testing (FOBt) positive subjects. The demand for symptomatic (non-screening) colonoscopy also increased. Pilot-generated activity was less than predicted for barium enema services (maximum 3 per cent increase in service volume) but greater than expected for pathology, with approximately 200 specimens/month generated. Out-patient review of Pilot colonoscopy patients and associated administrative duties added substantially to overall GI service workload, but quantification was limited by the quality of routinely available data. There was a wide discrepancy in colonoscopy waiting times between screened and symptomatic patients, with predominantly longer waits for symptomatic patients: otherwise the quality of colonoscopy services appeared to improve. In any future national screening programme, follow-up of patients with adenomas will result in a further increase of 28 per cent in the number of colonoscopies generated (over and above colonoscopy for FOBt-positive subjects), adding substantially to overall workload. CONCLUSIONS: During the planning of any successful national colorectal cancer screening programme, careful consideration must be given to the wider aspects of workload associated with screening, as well as to the implementation of appropriate hospital data collection systems.     

Mathematical Models for the Early Detection and Treatment of Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer is a major cause of death for men and women in the Western world. When the cancer is detected through an awareness of the symptoms by a patient, typically it is at an advanced stage. It is possible to detect cancer at an early stage through screening and the marked differences in survival for early and late stages provide the incentive for the primary prevention or early detection of colorectal cancer. This paper considers mathematical models for colorectal cancer screening together with models for the treatment of patients. Illustrative results demonstrate that detailed attention to the processes involved in diseases, interventions and treatment enable us to combine data and expert knowledge from various sources. Thus a detailed operational model is a very useful tool in helping to make decisions about screening at national and local levels.     

Colorectal Cancer Screening Among Midwestern Community-Based Residents: Indicators Of Success

Screening reduces the rate of death and morbidity resulting from CRC. Although CRC screening rates are low relative to other cancer screening tests, rates appear to be increasing: In 2004, 57% of adults ≥ 50 years reported up-to-date CRC screening test use; 14 states and Washington DC showed rates in excess of 60%. Identification of indicators of success and challenges remaining are important for universal goal achievement. The purpose of this study was to identify system and individual-level indicators of up-to-date CRC screening in a geographic area that reports higher uptake rates. Random-digit-dialing methods were used to survey a population-based community sample (N = 1033) of Midwestern adults ages 50 to 79 for CRC screening uptake in spring 2005. Adjusted odds ratio estimates were obtained using multivariate logistic regression. In total, about 62.6% of the sample reported up-to-date CRC screening. Compliant attitudes toward physicians’ screening recommendations were important indicators for up-to-date CRC screening; other individual-level psychosocial factors included beliefs about testing responsibility and testing safety. Non-current CRC screening was linked with testing anxiety and lack of perceived need for healthy people to test. System-level indicators associated with up-to-date CRC screening included reliance on physicians as the primary source for health information, family/personal history of bowel disease, regular physician visits, and participation in other cancer screening tests, controlling for age. Although population-based studies generally emphasize health system-level factors, individual-level attitudes such as feelings of responsibility to screen and adherence to physicians’ screening recommendations are important contributors to up-to-date CRC screening patterns.     

Feasibility Study to Assess the Impact of a Lifestyle Intervention during Colorectal Cancer Screening in France

Current evidence suggests that 30–50% of cancers are attributable to established lifestyle risk factors. Cancer-screening has been identified as an opportunity for delivering advice on lifestyle behaviour change for cancer prevention. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and acceptance of promoting advice on the latest evidence-based lifestyle recommendations for cancer prevention at the time of colorectal cancer screening at two hospitals in Lyon, France. This feasibility study included 49 patients (20 men and 29 women) who were invited for colonoscopy. Patients received a leaflet with lifestyle recommendations for cancer prevention, accompanied with a logbook to plan and monitor their behavioural changes. Feedback from patients, hospital staff, and researchers was received via evaluation questionnaires (n = 26) completed after testing the educational material for at least two weeks and via two focus group discussions (n = 7 and n = 9 respectively) organized at the end of the study. All interviewed patients were interested in lowering their cancer risk, and the majority felt ready to change their lifestyle (88%), although most did not know how to decrease their risk of cancer (61%). All patients found the educational material easy to understand and sufficiently attractive and 50% of the patients reported having achieved at least one of the healthy behaviours recommended within the two weeks following the intervention. All hospital staff and almost all patients (92%) involved found that the screening program and the visits planned for colonoscopy was an appropriate moment to provide them with the educational material. This feasibility study has shown that the content, paper-based format, and time of delivery of the intervention were adequate. Health professionals seem to be willing to provide lifestyle recommendations, and patients appear interested in receiving advice for lowering their cancer risk during screening visits.     

Annals Journal Club: Offering Annual Fecal Occult Blood Tests at Annual Flu Shot Clinics Increases Colorectal Cancer Screening Rates

PURPOSE We wanted to determine whether providing home fecal occult blood test (FOBT) kits to eligible patients during influenza inoculation (flu shot) clinics can contribute to higher colorectal cancer screening (CRCS) rates.     

1990—2005年杭州市萧山区人群肠癌发病部位和年龄特点及生存率影响因素

目的研究1990—2005年杭州市萧山区人群结、直肠癌的发病部位和年龄特点及生存率影响因素。方法以杭州市萧山区恶性肿瘤发病与死亡监测系统为基础,采用寿命表法计算结、直肠癌的生存率,分析结、直肠癌的发病年龄、部位、生存率的变化趋势及其影响因素。结果 1990—2005年结、直肠癌病例共2450例,中位发病年龄65.3岁,1990—1995年、1996—2000年、2001—2005年中位发病年龄分别为63.2岁、65.3岁、66.8岁,结、直肠癌病例的发病年龄呈增高趋势。结肠癌中位发病年龄64.5岁,低于直肠癌病人中位发病年龄(65.8岁),差别有统计学意义(Z=2.06,P=0.039)。发病部位以直肠癌为主,占60.2%,60岁以下发病的病人中结肠癌的比例高于60岁以上年龄组。近年来结肠癌的比例呈增高趋势,2001—2005年已占全部结、直肠癌患者的46.6%。本组结、直肠癌病人的1年、3年、5年生存率分别为51.5%,45.6%和43.4%。影响结、直肠癌预后的主要因素有肿瘤部位[直肠癌相对危险度是结肠癌的1.453倍(95%CI:1.293～1.633)]、发病年龄[45～59岁组和≥60岁组的相对危险度分别为45岁组的1.071倍(95%CI:0.867～1.325)和1.847倍(95%CI:1.535～2.222)]、诊断时期[1996—2000年和2001年以后的相对危险度分别为1996年以前的0.901倍(95%CI:0.788～1.030)和0.691倍(95%CI:0.600～0.795)]。结论结、直肠癌病人有发病年龄增高、发病部位趋向近端、预后改善的趋势,须针对发病特征及相关影响因素采取积极有效的预防措施。     

Sociopsychological Tailoring to Address Colorectal Cancer Screening Disparities: A Randomized Controlled Trial

PURPOSE

Interventions tailored to sociopsychological factors associated with health behaviors have promise for reducing colorectal cancer screening disparities, but limited research has assessed their impact in multiethnic populations. We examined whether an interactive multimedia computer program (IMCP) tailored to expanded health belief model sociopsychological factors could promote colorectal cancer screening in a multiethnic sample.

METHODS

We undertook a randomized controlled trial, comparing an IMCP tailored to colorectal cancer screening self-efficacy, knowledge, barriers, readiness, test preference, and experiences with a nontailored informational program, both delivered before office visits. The primary outcome was record-documented colorectal cancer screening during a 12-month follow-up period. Secondary outcomes included postvisit sociopsychological factor status and discussion, as well as clinician recommendation of screening during office visits. We enrolled 1,164 patients stratified by ethnicity and language (49.3% non-Hispanic, 27.2% Hispanic/English, 23.4% Hispanic/Spanish) from 26 offices around 5 centers (Sacramento, California; Rochester and the Bronx, New York; Denver, Colorado; and San Antonio, Texas).

RESULTS

Adjusting for ethnicity/language, study center, and the previsit value of the dependent variable, compared with control patients, the IMCP led to significantly greater colorectal cancer screening knowledge, self-efficacy, readiness, test preference specificity, discussion, and recommendation. During the followup period, 132 (23%) IMCP and 123 (22%) control patients received screening (adjusted difference = 0.5 percentage points, 95% CI −4.3 to 5.3). IMCP effects did not differ significantly by ethnicity/language.

CONCLUSIONS

Sociopsychological factor tailoring was no more effective than nontailored information in encouraging colorectal cancer screening in a multiethnic sample, despite enhancing sociopsychological factors and visit behaviors associated with screening. The utility of sociopsychological tailoring in addressing screening disparities remains uncertain.     

结直肠癌膳食因素的病例对照研究

<正>结直肠癌(colorectal cancer,CRC)是人类最常见的恶性肿瘤之一,全球结直肠癌发病率居所有恶性肿瘤的第三位,现患率居所有恶性肿瘤的第二位。仅2002年全球结直肠癌约有100万新发病例,占全部癌症的9.4%;结直肠癌死亡率约占发病率的1/2,仅2002年就有52.9万人