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The role of sigmoidoscopy for asymptomatic patients. Results of three annual screening sigmoidoscopies, polypectomy, and subsequent surveillance colonoscopy in a primary-care setting.

A total of 329 asymptomatic patients (aged 50 or older) underwent flexible sigmoidoscopy to screen for colonic neoplasia. Of these, 258 underwent a second examination after 1 year and 143 underwent a third examination after another year. Of 60 patients in whom polyps were found on one of the three examinations, 58 underwent colonoscopy and polypectomy; 77 adenomatous polyps were present in 39 of these patients. The incidence of adenomatous polyps was 7.9% for the first examination, 3.9% for the second, and 2.1% for the third. Of patients with an index polyp found by sigmoidoscopy, 57.5% had synchronous polyps discovered by colonoscopy. Thirty-six of 77 polyps in 24 patients showed dysplasia; 9 were less than 0.5 cm, 14 were 0.5 cm to 0.9 cm, and 13 were 1 cm or larger. Forty-four surveillance colonoscopies (done after initial colonoscopy and polypectomy) have been performed in 28 patients. Eighteen examinations resulted in finding 30 adenomatous polyps, of which 10 showed dysplasia. This study 1) is the first report of flexible sigmoidoscopy data to support the American Cancer Society recommendation of two serial screening sigmoidoscopies a year apart, 2) reinforces the concept that an index polyp indicates a need for a complete colonoscopy, 3) reinforces the need for ongoing surveillance by colonoscopy after detection of adenomas, and 4) adds to reports of dysplasia in diminutive polyps.

Aged

Comparison of flexible sigmoidoscopy with other diagnostic techniques in the diagnosis of rectocolon neoplasia.

Flexible sigmoidoscopy was compared to rigid sigmoidoscopy in the detection of colorectal neoplasia in a select group of patients. A distance of 30 cm or greater was obtained by flexible sigmoidoscopy in 94% of patients and a distance of 50 cm or greater in 46% of patients. A significant number of cancers and adenomas detected by flexible sigmoidoscopy were not detected by rigid sigmoidoscopy. Flexible sigmoidoscopy was tolerated better than rigid sigmoidoscopy but required twice the time. Flexible sigmoidoscopy could be combined with air-contrast barium enema the same day with the one preparation and did not interfere with the x-ray examination. All cancers and a significant number of adenomas detected subsequently on colonoscopy were detected by the combination of flexible sigmoidoscopy and air-contrast barium enema. Although the combination of flexible sigmoidoscopy and air-contrast barium enema is not adequate for thorough diagnostic evaluation of patients with a positive screening test, it may be of value in other select clinical situations. Flexible sigmoidoscopy has the potential for higher yield and better patient tolerance as compared to rigid sigmoidoscopy. This warrants further evaluation.

Adenoma

Factors affecting compliance with screening sigmoidoscopy.

BACKGROUND: A retrospective, qualitative study in a university setting was undertaken to better understand factors influencing patient compliance with screening sigmoidoscopy. METHODS: Individuals who completed screening sigmoidoscopy were interviewed to learn about the physician-patient relationship, general knowledge of cancer, family experience with cancer, exposure to the media, and specific reasons why sigmoidoscopy was completed. RESULTS: Respondents reported that their physician's recommendation had a strong positive influence on their decision to have sigmoidoscopic screening, as did their family and personal experiences with cancer. In all cases, the patients stated that they would not have had a sigmoidoscopy without the recommendation of their physician. Respondents were little influenced by exposure to the media or by famous personalities. CONCLUSIONS: The importance of the physician's recommendation for the patient to have sigmoidoscopy and demonstration of concern with early cancer detection may represent the primary motivating factors in completion of screening sigmoidoscopy.

Attitude to Health

Combustible colonic gas levels during flexible sigmoidoscopy and colonoscopy.

To what extent the standard preparation for sigmoidoscopy (phosphosoda enemas) makes the bowel safe for electrocautery is unknown. Sixty patients were prospectively evaluated to compare the presence of the combustible gases hydrogen and methane during colonoscopy and flexible sigmoidoscopy. Thirty patients underwent flexible sigmoidoscopy after phosphosoda enema preparation, and 30 patients underwent colonoscopy after a polyethylene glycol solution preparation. During colonoscopy, the concentrations of hydrogen and methane remained below combustible levels in all patients. Even segments of colon with significant fecal matter present did not have combustible levels of these two gases. However, at flexible sigmoidoscopy, combustible levels of hydrogen and methane were measured in 3 of 30 (10%) patients. Due to the risk of explosion, electrocautery should not be performed during routine flexible sigmoidoscopy after the standard phosphosoda enema preparation.

Administration, Oral

A case-control study of screening sigmoidoscopy and mortality from colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: The efficacy of sigmoidoscopic screening in reducing mortality from colorectal cancer remains uncertain. A randomized trial would be ideal for clarifying this issue but is very difficult to conduct. Case-control studies provide an alternative method of estimating the efficacy of screening sigmoidoscopy. METHODS: Using data on the 261 members of the Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program who died of cancer of the rectum or distal colon from 1971 to 1988, we examined the use of screening by rigid sigmoidoscopy during the 10 years before the diagnosis and compared it with the use of screening in 868 control subjects matched with the case subjects for age and sex. RESULTS: Only 8.8 percent of the case subjects had undergone screening by sigmoidoscopy, as compared with 24.2 percent of the controls (matched odds ratio, 0.30; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.19 to 0.48). Adjustment for potential confounding factors increased the odds ratio to 0.41 (95 percent confidence interval, 0.25 to 0.69). The negative association was as strong when the most recent sigmoidoscopy was 9 to 10 years before diagnosis as it was when examinations were more recent. By contrast, for 268 subjects with fatal colon cancer above the reach of the sigmoidoscope and for 268 controls, the adjusted odds ratio was 0.96 (95 percent confidence interval, 0.61 to 1.50). The specificity of the negative association for cancer within the reach of the sigmoidoscope is consistent with a true efficacy of screening rather than a confounding by unmeasured selection factors. CONCLUSIONS: Screening by sigmoidoscopy can reduce mortality from cancer of the rectum and distal colon. A screening once every 10 years may be nearly as efficacious as more frequent screening.

Aged

Screening sigmoidoscopy and colorectal cancer mortality.

BACKGROUND: Sigmoidoscopy may reduce colorectal cancer mortality by identifying both cancers and precursor lesions (including polyps) for treatment; however, evidence regarding the efficacy of this technique as a screening procedure is extremely limited. PURPOSE: In the absence of data from randomized controlled trials, we performed a retrospective case-control study to determine if sigmoidoscopy screening is associated with a reduction in colorectal cancer mortality. METHODS: The medical records of 66 members of the Greater Marshfield Community Health Plan (GMCHP) who died of large-bowel cancer from 1979 to 1988 were reviewed for history of screening for colorectal cancer (case subjects). For comparison, the records of 196 GMCHP members of similar gender, age, and enrollment duration were randomly selected for review (control subjects). RESULTS: History of screening sigmoidoscopy was much less common among case subjects (10%) than among control subjects (30%). Risk for death from colorectal cancer was reduced among individuals having had a single examination by screening sigmoidoscopy (odds ratio = 0.21; 95% confidence interval = 0.08-0.52), compared with the risk for those who never had one. The reduction in risk appeared to be limited to tumors in the rectum and distal colon. Neither fecal occult blood testing nor digital rectal examination was associated with a reduction in colorectal cancer mortality. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that screening sigmoidoscopy can substantially reduce mortality from cancers of the rectum and distal colon.

Aged

Significance of distal polyps detected with flexible sigmoidoscopy in asymptomatic patients.

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer is a frequent cause of death from cancer. To reduce the mortality associated with this disease, regular flexible sigmoidoscopy is recommended. However, the significance of diminutive polyps (adenomatous or hyperplastic) detected during flexible sigmoidoscopy remains controversial, as does the appropriate endoscope length (35 vs 60 cm) for colorectal cancer screening. METHODS: One hundred one consecutive patients with no history of colonic disease, gastrointestinal tract symptoms, or positive results of fecal occult blood testing underwent flexible sigmoidoscopy as part of a colorectal cancer screening program. All patients with distal polyps detected during flexible sigmoidoscopy underwent colonoscopy. RESULTS: More than 25% of these asymptomatic, predominantly male subjects had colonic neoplasms or polyps detected. Fifty percent more lesions could be detected with a 60-cm sigmoidoscope than with a 35-cm sigmoidoscope, and detection of any distal polyp, whether adenomatous or hyperplastic, was associated with at least one proximal colon adenoma in 20% of patients. "Extended flexible sigmoidoscopy" for colorectal cancer screening was well tolerated by patients, as evidenced by insertion to the hepatic flexure in 25% of patients, and provided significantly more information than could be obtained with a 35-cm sigmoidoscope. CONCLUSIONS: Colorectal cancer screening should be performed with a 60-cm flexible sigmoidoscope, and distal colonic polyps or neoplasms will be detected in 25% of asymptomatic patients.

Aged

Flexible sigmoidoscopy may be ineffective for secondary prevention of colorectal cancer in asymptomatic, average-risk men.

Asymptomatic men (N = 114) 50 years of age or older had screening for colorectal neoplasia with flexible sigmoidoscopy followed by colonoscopy regardless of the sigmoidoscopic result. Our study objective was to determine the prevalence of patients having isolated adenomatous polyps in a proximal colonic segment in the absence of a distal index neoplasm within reach of the sigmoidoscope. Through the combined use of sigmoidoscopy and colonoscopy, adenomatous polyps were detected in 47 of 114 individuals (41%). A total of 88 adenomas was found. Seventeen patients had isolated neoplasms in proximal colonic segments in the absence of distal adenomas. These patients represented 15% of screened subjects (17 of 114) and 20% of individuals who lacked adenomas on sigmoidoscopy (17 of 84). The majority of proximal neoplasms were small (less than 1.0 cm), tubular adenomas. Flexible sigmoidoscopy may be ineffective for screening asymptomatic men for neoplasia. However, it remains to be determined if a 20% miss rate (for those with a normal sigmoidoscopic examination) is significant and whether small proximal adenomas are worth finding.

Adenoma

Adherence to screening flexible sigmoidoscopy in asymptomatic patients.

The purpose of this study was to assess patient adherence to physician-recommended screening flexible sigmoidoscopy. In the setting of a family practice residency program, adherence rates in asymptomatic patients (N = 333, age > or = 50 years) were compared among a Usual Care Group; an Intervention Group that received educational materials and a phone reminder; and a Continuity Group, which had longstanding continuity with a single physician. Data from mailed questionnaires (N = 180) were used to examine the associations of demographic factors and attitudes with adherence. Adherence was 30.3% overall, with a nonsignificant increase in the Intervention Group compared with the Usual Care Group. In a pooled analysis of the Usual Care and Continuity Groups, the half of the sample with the highest continuity had a significantly higher adherence rate than the rest of the sample (45%; P < 0.001). In a discriminant analysis (78% correct classification, P < 0.001) two history variables (family history of cancer; family history of colon problems), one measure of continuity (number of physician visits), one demographic variable (lower household income), and two attitudinal factors (perception of how painful flexible sigmoidoscopy would be; perception of how well the physician explained its importance) made statistically significant contributions to the prediction of adherence. Results of the study show that screening flexible sigmoidoscopy is acceptable to asymptomatic patients, and that continuity is likely to have a positive impact on adherence. Because attitudes offer the potential for modification, we suggest that physicians reassure patients that flexible sigmoidoscopy is not unduly painful and discuss with patients individually its importance to their health.

Aged

Flexible sigmoidoscopy screening in an industrial setting.

Little is known about the yield of colorectal cancer screening programs in an industrial setting. We therefore established a flexible sigmoidoscopy screening program at a chemical manufacturing plant and offered testing to all employees over the age of 40. After a Fleet enema preparation had been administered, a digital rectal examination and sigmoidoscopy were performed on each volunteer worker in the medical office of the plant. The plant had an average census of about 650 workers; 202 were screened during a 2-yr period. The mean (+/- SEM) age of participants was 52 +/- 0.4. Sixty-four employees had polyps (31.7%); data on follow-up colonoscopy were available in 69%. Colonoscopy revealed adenomatous polyps in 23 workers (53.5%), hyperplastic polyps in 10 (23%), and no evidence of neoplasia in 10 (23%). Seven workers did not arrange for follow-up colonoscopy and 12 individuals could not be contacted. No cancers were detected. In the 40- to 50-yr age group, polyps were detected in 19.5% of employees (25% adenomatous). Incidental findings were common, and included prostatic nodules, hemorrhoids, diverticulosis, and proctitis, among others. We conclude that screening sigmoidoscopy can be conveniently and economically performed at the workplace, with a high yield and good worker acceptance. The high yield suggests a possible association between polyp formation and work in a chemical plant. The finding of adenomatous polyps in the younger patients suggests that the threshold for flexible sigmoidoscopy at age 50 needs to be reassessed.

Adult

[Is flexible sigmoidoscopy as preventive measure for colorectal carcinoma in asymptomatic patients over 45 practicable?].

The efficacy of flexible sigmoidoscopy as a screening method for colorectal cancer is still undetermined, and a reduction in mortality due to this cancer by mass screening has not been demonstrated so far. An important precondition for the practicability of screening sigmoidoscopy is its acceptability by the persons to be screened. Acceptability was tested in 294 volunteers without abdominal symptoms from a general medical outpatients clinic. Mean age of participants was 58 years (45-86), 65% were men and 35% women. Sigmoidoscopy was judged harmless by 221 persons (75.1%), painful by 62 (21.1%), very painful by 11 (3.7%), and unacceptable by none. Every participant would have agreed to repeat the examination. In 36 patients 52 polyps were detected, comprising one carcinoma, 18 adenomas (in 15 patients), 32 hyperplastic polyps and one lipoma. We conclude that sigmoidoscopy was well accepted in this study and should be evaluated further as a mass screening method for colorectal cancer.

Aged

The practice outcomes of a course in flexible sigmoidoscopy for primary care physicians.

A mail survey of 430 participants in a 2-day course on flexible sigmoidoscopy presented over the past 6 years was conducted to determine the extent to which flexible sigmoidoscopy was subsequently utilized in physician practice. Eighty percent of respondents performed the procedure in their practices on a regular basis. Two-thirds of the patients underwent sigmoidoscopy for screening. The course in flexible sigmoidoscopy appears to potentiate the motivation of primary care physicians to incorporate complete colorectal cancer screening in their practice.

Education, Medical, Continuing

Open-access, flexible, fiberoptic sigmoidoscopy in a regional primary-care clinic.

We established an open-access, flexible, fiberoptic sigmoidoscopy service in an outpatient clinic in Kiriat-Shmona, Northern Israel. Twenty-eight general physicians in the city and in 41 surrounding rural residences (population 40,000) were encouraged to refer patients for sigmoidoscopy. In the first operative year, flexible sigmoidoscopy was performed on 255 patients (age range 10-90 years, mean 54). The male to female ratio was 123:132; women were slightly older than men (mean age 55.9 years vs. 51.1). Rectal bleeding and change in bowel habits were the most common indications. The sidmoidoscope was passed to the splenic flexure in 156 patients (61%). In five patients (2%) the instrument could not be inserted beyond the rectosigmoid junction. Excluding hemorrhoids and anal lesions, abnormalities were detected in 69 patients (27%). In 29 patients (11.4%) a cancer or polyp was found. Analysis of referral indications showed an increased positive predictive value for neoplastic lesions in patients referred for anemia (22.2%), weight loss (20.0%), abdominal pain (17.8%), and positive fecal occult blood test (15.4%). There were only two patients with polyp or cancer of 55 (3.6%) < 40 years of age, in contrast to 27 of 200 (13.5%) > 40 (p < 0.05). Sixty-six patients underwent further investigation, and 26 had positive results: colonic lesions were confirmed in 20 patients, sigmoid colon cancer was found on barium enema in one, and lesions outside the colon were detected in seven. Such open-access, flexible sigmoidoscopy gave higher yield for colorectal polyps or cancers than open-access or hospital-initiation barium enema.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent

Fiberoptic pansigmoidoscopy. An evaluation and comparison with rigid sigmoidoscopy.

A flexible 60-cm fiberoptic sigmoidoscope was evaluated in 139 patients. In 120 patients flexible sigmoidoscopy was compared with routine rigid sigmoidoscopy with respect to patient tolerance, distance of inspection, procedure time, and diagnostic yield. All patients were prepared with a single cleansing enema, and given no analgesia. Despite the fact that the flexible instrument was inserted nearly 3 times as far into the colon (55 cm versus 20 cm), more patients preferred the flexible examination. Significant pathological lesions were discovered by the flexible examination in 39% of patients, whereas rigid sigmoidoscopy discovered lesions in only 13%. Fluoroscopy performed during flexible sigmoidoscopy in 19 additional patients revealed that the instrument tip had reached the descending colon or beyond in 84% of patients. There were no complications. The flexible fiberoptic pansigmoidoscope offers promise as a practical diagnostic tool for a rapid and complete examination in patients with suspected colorectal diseases.

Adolescent

Hyperplastic polyps seen at sigmoidoscopy are markers for additional adenomas seen at colonoscopy.

Asymptomatic individuals undergoing screening flexible sigmoidoscopy were prospectively studied. Polyps were found in 185 subjects. The endoscopist recorded an opinion on the polyps' histology based on endoscopic appearance. No polyps were removed at sigmoidoscopy. All subjects with rectosigmoid polyps then underwent colonoscopy and polypectomy. Of them, 99 subjects (54%) had at least one rectosigmoid adenoma, 69 (37%) had only hyperplastic polyps, and 17 (9%) had other findings. The endoscopists' opinion of the histopathology of polyps at sigmoidoscopy was correct for 61% of the lesions. Of subjects with adenomatous rectosigmoid polyps, 29% had additional adenomas at more proximal sites. Proximal adenomas were found in 28% of patients with hyperplastic rectosigmoid polyps. Patients with rectosigmoid hyperplastic polyps had the same risk for additional proximal adenomas as patients with rectosigmoid adenomatous polyps.

Adult

Performing screening flexible sigmoidoscopy using colonoscopes: experience in 500 subjects.

There is still controversy regarding the optimal length of flexible sigmoidoscopes. We performed screening distal colon examinations using 168-cm colonoscopes in 500 asymptomatic subjects who were unsedated and had sigmoidoscopy cleansing preparation. The mean depth of penetration was 66 cm and was similar in persons in whom the examination was discontinued because of poor preparation versus those with discomfort. Polyps were detected in 87 patients, but only 5 subjects had polyps detected above 60 cm. We conclude that in a group of unsedated subjects scheduled for flexible sigmoidoscopy after a sigmoidoscopy prep, the use of instruments longer than 60 cm gives very little additional yield.

Colonic Neoplasms

Value of sigmoidoscopy and biopsy in detection of carcinoma and premalignant change in ulcerative colitis.

Of 111 carcinomas developing in 73 patients with ulcerative colitis, 46 (41.5%) arose in the rectum where they are directly accessible to sigmoidoscopy. Fifty-eight per cent of single carcinomas developed in the rectum. The extent and frequency of rectal dysplasia was assessed by examining slides of rectal mucosa with an eyepiece micrometer. Slides from 46 patients with carcinoma and 22 patients with dysplasia but no carcinoma in whom proctectomy or proctocolectomy had been carried out were examined by this method. Thirteen of 15 patients with carcinoma of the colon (87%) and 21/22 patients (95%) with large bowel dysplasia showed evidence only of rectal dysplasia. However, there was marked variability in the proportion of dysplastic rectal mucosa even in those patients with rectal carcinoma, while in some patients dysplasia was limited to a small focus. Because of the possibility of false negative biopsies due to sampling error, multiple biopsies should be taken to detect dysplasia. Their state should be recorded and deliberately varied at subsequent visits. Careful sigmoidoscopy and multiple biopsies in this study had potential value as an aid in the detection of 85-90% of all carcinomas. In practice the figure would almost certainly be lower due to intrinsic bias (see discussion) so that, although regular sigmoidoscopy and biopsy would be of great value when colonoscopy is not available, the latter should be included in any long-term programme of carcinoma prevention.

Biopsy

[Utility of SCG (screening colonography) and combined sigmoidoscopy-SCG in thorough physical checkups].

Given the increasing incidence of colon cancer in recent years, it is important to establish a diagnostic system for early detection and introduce it into clinical practice. A double contrast examination that uses a disposable tip and tube with an enema reservoir filled with 200 ml of 60 w/v% barium sulfate, known as SCG (screening colonography) was used in this study. In order to assess its utility SCG was performed on 1,554 patients, and 2,004 patients were examined by a within 24 hours combination of sigmoidoscopy and SCG by way of screening for colon cancer. Given the brief duration of SCG, which ranged from 10 to 13 min in most patients in the study, the efficiency of the examinations was considered to be rather high. Furthermore, the barium reached the cecum in as many as 98.7% of the patients. Overall, SCG proved to have an excellent diagnostic capability. Sigmoidoscopy-SCG, on the other hand, detected colon cancer in 114 patients (5.7%) and colon polyps in 658 patients (32.8%). The rates of detection of colon cancers and polyps were higher in the patients who tested positive in immunological fecal examinations for occult blood. Judging from our results, it may be said that for many patients receiving thorough physical checkups to screen for colon cancer, our system will provide for efficient screening whereby patients are first examined for fecal occult blood and those who test positive undergo sigmoidoscopy and SCG within the same day.

Adult