High Adenoma Detection Rates in Fecal Immunochemical Test-Based Colorectal Cancer Screening: Interim Results of the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program in Qatar.

Abstract

Colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancers globally. Recent reductions in mortality rates have been primarily attributed to screening programs. The State of Qatar established a national bowel cancer screening program in 2016. Fecal immunochemical testing (FIT) was used for average-risk individuals aged 50 to 74 years. Fecal immunochemical testing -positive participants were referred for total colonoscopy to detect polyps and cancers. Among 32,751 FIT invitees, 11,130 took the test, and 758 (6%) of those were FIT positive. Of these, 375 (56.13%) participants underwent a colonoscopy, and polyps were detected in 198 (52.8%) and cancers in 19 (5.1%) participants. The adenoma detection rate exceeded 40%. The high yield of polyps and cancers in the screening program justifies an active, resource-intensive, and organized bowel cancer screening effort. The high adenoma detection rate in a FIT-based program warrants recalibration of target adenoma detection rates in screening programs.