Years of Life Saved by Colon Cancer Screening

Embargoed for Release Until: Sunday, October 11, 1998, 6:00 p.m. Contact: Dana Victor Montenegro 202/973-5871 or [email protected]

Research Calculates Years of Life Saved by Colon Cancer Screening

Boston, MA, October 11, 1998 -- An analysis of the lifesaving benefits of colorectal cancer screening, presented to the 63rd Annual Scientific Meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology, showed that for each year of life saved by regular colon cancer screening, an average of 2.4 colonoscopies would need to be performed for each U.S. adult over fifty.

For this analysis, John M. Inadomi, MD of the Veteran's Affairs Medical Center in Albuquerque, NM, used Markov chain analysis to determine the number of colonoscopies required to screen U.S. residents aged 50 until age 85 or death. To calculate life-years saved using colonoscopic screening for colorectal cancer, Dr. Inadomi utilized a mathematical model know as DEALE - declining exponential approximation of life expectancy. Dr. Inadomi and his colleagues drew on the Vital Statistics of the United States as their source for the colorectal cancer death rate in the United States.

Colorectal cancer is America's number 2 cancer killer, second only to lung cancer and surpassing both breast and prostate cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, more than 131,000 new cases will be detected in 1998, and 55,000 will die.

Most colon cancers develop from benign polyps. Early removal of polyps during screening can eliminate most colon cancers. For normal risk individuals, without a genetic predisposition or other risk factor, screening tests should begin at age 50 and consist of annual stool test for blood, and a flexible sigmoidoscopic exam every 5 years. Screening colonoscopy is recommended for individuals at higher than normal risk for colon cancer, including those with a past history of colorectal cancer, family history of colorectal cancer or polyps, or other predisposing chronic digestive condition such as inflammatory bowel disease. For both average and high risk individuals, all potential pre-cancerous polyps must be removed.

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