Screen-detected colorectal cancers show improved cancer specific survival when compared with cancers diagnosed via the two-week suspected colorectal cancer referral guidelines.
Colorectal Disease, 07/05/2012

Courtney ED et al. – Screening for colorectal cancer identifies cancers at a significantly earlier stage than symptomatic patients with subsequent improvement in cancer–specific survival.

• A comparative analysis was undertaken of all screen detected colorectal cancer patients diagnosed between July 2006 and December 2010, with an age-matched group of patients diagnosed in the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital through the 2-week suspected colorectal cancer guidelines.

• 356 cases of colorectal cancer were diagnosed through the screening programme, with an age range of 60-79 years.
• In the same time period, 292 patients in the same age range were diagnosed with colorectal cancer through the 2-week suspected colorectal cancer pathway.
• Sixteen patients in the screening group had evidence of metastatic disease at presentation compared with 62 in the symptomatic group (χ², p<0.001).
• The proportion of T1/T2 and Dukes’ A cancers was significantly greater in the screening group (χ², p<0.001).
• There were 21 colorectal cancer related deaths in the screening group compared to 66 in the symptomatic group.
• Survival analysis curves showed significantly better survival in the screening group (log-rank analysis p<0.001).