Colorectal Cancer Screening Strategies Research Articles

A Novel Diagnostic Biomarker, PZP, for Detecting Colorectal Cancer in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients Identified by Serum-Based Mass Spectrometry.

Background: Growing evidence has confirmed that populations with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) have an increasing risk of developing colorectal cancer (CRC). Thus, convenient and effective screening strategies for CRC should be developed for the T2DM population to increase the detection rate of CRC. Methods: Twenty serum samples extracted from five healthy participants, five T2DM patients, five CRC patients and five T2DM patients with CRC (T2DM + CRC) were submitted to data-independent acquisition mass spectrometry (DIA-MS) analysis to discover unique differentially altered proteins (DAPs) for CRC in patients with T2DM. Then, the diagnostic value of pregnancy zone protein (PZP) was validated by ELISA analysis in the validated cohort. Results: Based on DIA-MS analysis, we found eight unique proteins specific to T2DM patients with CRC. Among these proteins, four proteins showed different expression between the T2DM + CRC and T2DM groups, and PZP exhibited the largest difference. Next, the diagnostic value of serum PZP was validated by ELISA analysis with an AUC of 0.713. Moreover, the combination of PZP, CA199 and CEA exhibited encouraging diagnostic value, and the AUC reached 0.916. Conclusion: Overall, our current research implied that PZP could be regarded as a newfound serum biomarker for CRC medical diagnosis in T2DM patients.

Cost-effectiveness of colorectal cancer screening in Slovakia.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is an ideal disease for screening due to known and detectable precursor lesions and slow progression from benign adenoma to invasive cancer. The introduction of organized population-based screening programs reduces the burden of colorectal cancer and increases the quality of the screening process with a more favorable harm to benefit ratio compared to opportunistic screening. The study used the microsimulation screening analysis-colon simulation model for the estimation of the effect of various factors on cancer incidence and mortality. The model simulated the Slovakian population from 2018 to 2050. Study includes the analysis of two screening strategies the fecal immunochemical test (FIT) every 2 years and annual FIT. Cost-effectiveness parameters were evaluated comparing each simulated screening scenario with no screening. Compared to no screening, the biennial FIT would detect 29 600 CRC cases and annual FIT 37 800 CRC cases. Mortality due to CRC showed benefits for both strategies with 17,38% reduction in biennial FIT and 24,67% reduction in annual FIT approach. Both screening programs were more costly as well as more effective compared to no screening. The ICER for biennial FIT strategy was 1776 EUR per 1 QALY and for the annual FIT 3991 EUR per 1 QALY. In summary, this is the first cost-effectiveness analysis focusing on multiple national CRC screening strategies in Slovakia. Both strategies demonstrated cost-effectiveness compared to no screening. However, for optimal population-based programmatic screening strategy, the policymakers should also consider human resources availability, acceptability of screening test among the population or additional resources including the screening funding.

Polygenic risk score across distinct colorectal cancer screening outcomes: from premalignant polyps to colorectal cancer

BackgroundDifferent risk-based colorectal cancer (CRC) screening strategies, such as the use of polygenic risk scores (PRS), have been evaluated to improve effectiveness of these programs. However, few studies have previously assessed its usefulness in a fecal immunochemical test (FIT)-based screening study.MethodsA PRS of 133 single nucleotide polymorphisms was assessed for 3619 participants: population controls, screening controls, low-risk lesions (LRL), intermediate-risk (IRL), high-risk (HRL), CRC screening program cases, and clinically diagnosed CRC cases. The PRS was compared between the subset of cases (n = 648; IRL+HRL+CRC) and controls (n = 956; controls+LRL) recruited within a FIT-based screening program. Positive predictive values (PPV), negative predictive values (NPV), and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (aROC) were estimated using cross-validation.ResultsThe overall PRS range was 110–156. PRS values increased along the CRC tumorigenesis pathway (Mann-Kendall P value 0.007). Within the screening subset, the PRS ranged 110-151 and was associated with higher risk-lesions and CRC risk (ORD10vsD1 1.92, 95% CI 1.22–3.03). The cross-validated aROC of the PRS for cases and controls was 0.56 (95% CI 0.53–0.59). Discrimination was equal when restricted to positive FIT (aROC 0.56), but lower among negative FIT (aROC 0.55). The overall PPV among positive FIT was 0.48. PPV were dependent on the number of risk alleles for positive FIT (PPVp10-p90 0.48–0.57).ConclusionsPRS plays an important role along the CRC tumorigenesis pathway; however, in practice, its utility to stratify the general population or as a second test after a FIT positive result is still doubtful. Currently, PRS is not able to safely stratify the general population since the improvement on PPV values is scarce.

Initial validation of a self-report questionnaire based on the Theoretical Domains Framework: determinants of clinician adoption of a novel colorectal cancer screening strategy

BackgroundColorectal cancer (CRC) screening for average risk adults age 45 and older continues to be underutilized in the USA. One factor consistently associated with CRC screening completion is clinician recommendation. Understanding the barriers and facilitators of clinical adoption of emerging CRC screening strategies is important in developing effective intervention strategies to improve CRC screening rates. We aimed to develop a questionnaire based on the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) to assess determinants of clinical adoption of novel CRC screening strategies, using the multi-target stool DNA test (mt-sDNA; Cologuard®) as an example, and test the psychometric properties of this questionnaire on a sample of US clinicians.MethodsA web survey was administered between November and December 2019 to a national panel of clinicians including primary care clinicians (PCCs) and gastroenterologists (GIs) to assess 10 TDF constructs with 55 items. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to examine whether the a priori domain structure was supported by the data. Discriminant validity of domains was tested with Heterotrait-Monotrait ratio (HTMT). Internal consistency for each scale was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha. Criterion validity was assessed with self-reported mt-sDNA use and mt-sDNA recommendation as the outcomes.ResultsComplete surveys were received from 814 PCCs and 159 GIs (completion rate, 24.7% of 3299 PCCs and 29.6% of 538 GIs). Providers were excluded from analysis if they indicated not recommending CRC screening to average-risk patients (final N = 973). The final questionnaire consisted of 38 items covering 5 domains: (1) knowledge; (2) skills; (3) identity and social influence; (4) optimism, beliefs about consequences, and intentions; and (5) environmental context and resources. CFA results confirmed a reasonable fit (CFI = 0.948, SRMR = 0.057, RMSEA = 0.080). The domains showed sufficient discriminant validity (HTMT < 0.85), good internal consistency (McDonald’s omega > 0.76), and successfully differentiated providers who reported they had ordered mt-sDNA from those who never ordered mt-sDNA and differentiated providers who reported routinely recommending mt-sDNA from those who reported not recommending mt-sDNA.ConclusionsFindings provide initial evidence for the validity and internal consistency of this TDF-based questionnaire in measuring potential determinants of mt-sDNA adoption for average-risk CRC screening. Further investigation of validity and reliability is needed when adapting this questionnaire to other novel CRC screening strategy contexts.

S182 Cost-Effectiveness of Outreach Strategies for Stool-Based Colorectal Cancer Screening in a Medicaid Population

Introduction: Outreach, including patient navigation, has been shown to increase the uptake of colorectal cancer (CRC) screening in underserved populations. This analysis evaluates the cost-effectiveness of triennial multi-target stool DNA (mt-sDNA), where each test includes centralized patient navigation support, versus outreach, with or without a mailed annual fecal immunochemical test (FIT), in a simulated Medicaid population. Methods: A microsimulation model was used to estimate the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio using quality-adjusted life years (QALY), direct costs and clinical outcomes in a cohort of Medicaid beneficiaries aged 50 – 64 over a lifetime time horizon. For annual FIT screening, we modeled two outreach scenarios: a mailed letter encouraging CRC screening completion along with instructions about how to obtain a FIT test (with no actual FIT test provided); and outreach via a mailed letter encouraging CRC screening completion along with a FIT test. The base case model explored scenarios of either 100% adherence or real-world reported adherence (51.3% for mt-sDNA, 21.1% for outreach with FIT and 12.3% for outreach without FIT) with or without real-world adherence for follow-up colonoscopy (66.7% for all). Costs and outcomes were discounted at 3.0%. Results: When 100% adherence is assumed for both the screening test and follow-up colonoscopy, outreach with or without FIT results in higher incidence reduction and higher mortality reduction compared to mt-sDNA (Table 1); mt-sDNA also cost more and was less effective compared to outreach with or without FIT at 100% adherence to both screening tests and follow-up colonoscopy (Figure 1). When real-world adherence rates were considered for screening strategies (with 100% adherence for follow-up colonoscopy), mt-sDNA resulted in the greatest reduction in incidence and mortality from CRC compared to outreach with or without FIT for incidence and mortality (Table 1); mt-sDNA was also cost-effective versus outreach with and without FIT ($32,150/QALY and $22,707/QALY, respectively) (Figure 1). mt-sDNA remained cost-effective versus FIT, with or without outreach, under real-world adherence rates for follow-up colonoscopy (Figure 1). Conclusion: Patient outreach/navigation interventions and associated real-world adherence rates to screening tests should be considered when evaluating the cost effectiveness of CRC screening strategies in underserved populations.Table 1.: Clinical and cost outcomes.Figure 1.: Incremental cost-effectiveness plane (A) mt-sDNA versus outreach + FIT (B) mt-sDNA versus outreach alone.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of different screening strategies for colorectal cancer in Guangzhou, southern China: a Markov simulation analysis based on natural community screening results

ObjectivesTo evaluate the cost-effectiveness of four different primary screening strategies: high-risk factor questionnaire (HRFQ) alone, single immunochemical faecal occult blood test (iFOBT), double iFOBT and HRFQ+double iFOBT for colorectal cancer...

Prevalence of self-reported abdominal symptoms among 50\u201374-years-old men and women eligible for colorectal cancer screening \u2013a cross-sectional study

BackgroundScreening is defined as the identification of unrecognized disease in an apparently healthy population. Symptomatic individuals are recommended to contact a physician instead of participating in screening. However, in colorectal cancer (CRC) screening this approach may be problematic as abdominal symptoms are nonspecific. This study aimed at identifying the prevalence of self-reported abdominal symptoms among screening-eligible men and women aged 50–74 years.MethodsThis cross-sectional survey study included 11,537 individuals aged 50–74 years invited for CRC screening from 9 to 23 September 2019. Descriptive statistics of responders experiencing alarm symptoms of CRC, Low Anterior Resection Syndrome Score (LARS) and the Patient Assessment of Constipation-Symptoms (PAC-SYM) were derived. The association between abdominal symptoms and demographic and socioeconomic variables were estimated by prevalence ratio (PR) using a Poisson regression model with robust variance.ResultsA total of 5488 respondents were included. The respondents were more likely women, of older age, Danish, cohabiting and had higher education and income level compared to non-respondents.Abdominal pain more than once a week was experienced by 12.0% of the respondents. Of these, 70.8% had been experiencing this symptom for >1 month. Fresh blood in the stool was experienced by 0.7% and of these 82.1% for >1 month. About one third of those experiencing alarm symptoms more than once a week for >1 month had not consulted a doctor. A total of 64.1% of the respondents had no LARS, 21.7% had minor LARS and 14.2% had major LARS. The median PAC-SYM score was 0.33 (Interquartile range (IQR): 0.17;0.75), the median abdominal score was 0.50 (IQR: 0.00;1.00), median rectal score 0.00 (IQR:0.00;0.33) and median stool score 0.40 (IQR: 0.00;0.80). Men and those aged 65–74 reported less symptoms than women and those aged 50–64 years, respectively.ConclusionsThis study illustrated that abdominal symptoms were frequent among screening-eligible men and women. This should be taken into account when implementing and improving CRC screening strategies. A concerning high number of the respondents experiencing alarm symptoms had not consulted a doctor. This calls for attention to abdominal symptoms in general and how those with abdominal symptoms should participate in CRC screening.

Evaluating tests for diagnosing COVID-19 in the absence of a reliable reference standard: pitfalls and potential solutions

Evaluating tests for diagnosing COVID-19 in the absence of a reliable reference standard: pitfalls and potential solutions

Implications of Lifestyle Factors and Polygenic Risk Score for Absolute Risk Prediction of Colorectal Neoplasm and Risk-Adapted Screening.

Background: Estimation of absolute risk of developing colorectal neoplasm is essential for personalized colorectal cancer (CRC) screening. We developed models to determine relative and absolute risks of colorectal neoplasm based on lifestyle and genetic variants and to validate their application in risk-adapted screening. Methods: We prospectively collected data from 203 advanced neoplasms, 464 non-advanced adenomas, and 1,213 healthy controls from a CRC screening trial in China in 2018–2019. The risk prediction model based on four lifestyle factors and a polygenic risk score (PRS) consisted of 19 CRC-associated single-nucleotide polymorphisms. We assessed the relative and 10-year absolute risks of developing colorectal neoplasm and the yield of a risk-adapted screening approach incorporating risk models, fecal immunochemical test, and colonoscopy. Results: Compared to the participants with favorable lifestyle and lower PRS, those with unfavorable lifestyle and higher PRS had 2.87- and 3.79-fold higher risk of colorectal neoplasm in males and females, respectively. For a 50-year-old man or a 50-year-old woman with the highest risk profile, the estimated 10-year absolute risk of developing colorectal neoplasm was 6.59% (95% CI: 6.53–6.65%) and 4.19% (95% CI: 4.11–4.28%), respectively, compared to 2.80% (95% CI: 2.78–2.81%) for men and 2.24% (95% CI: 2.21–2.27%) for women with the lowest risk profile. The positive predictive value for advanced neoplasm was 31.7%, and the number of colonoscopies needed to detect one advanced neoplasm was 3.2. Conclusion: The risk models, absolute risk estimates, and risk-adapted screening presented in our study would contribute to developing effective personalized CRC prevention and screening strategies.

Impact of assumptions on future costs, disutility and mortality in cost-effectiveness analysis; a model exploration.

IntroductionIn cost-effectiveness analyses, the future costs, disutility and mortality from alternative causes of morbidity are often not completely taken into account. We explored the impact of different assumed values for each of these factors on the cost-effectiveness of screening for colorectal cancer (CRC) and esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC).MethodsTwenty different CRC screening strategies and two EAC screening strategies were evaluated using microsimulation. Average health-related expenses, disutility and mortality by age for the U.S. general population were estimated using surveys and lifetables. First, we evaluated strategies under default assumptions, with average mortality, and no accounting for health-related costs and disutility. Then, we varied costs, disutility and mortality between 100% and 150% of the estimated population averages, with 125% as the best estimate. Primary outcome was the incremental cost per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) gained among efficient strategies.ResultsThe set of efficient strategies was robust to assumptions on future costs, disutility and mortality from other causes of morbidity. However, the incremental cost per QALY gained increased with higher assumed values. For example, for CRC, the ratio for the recommended strategy increased from $15,600 with default assumptions, to $32,600 with average assumption levels, $61,100 with 25% increased levels, and $111,100 with 50% increased levels. Similarly, for EAC, the incremental costs per QALY gained for the recommended EAC screening strategy increased from $106,300 with default assumptions to $198,300 with 50% increased assumptions. In sensitivity analyses without discounting or including only above-average expenses, the impact of assumptions was relatively smaller, but best estimates of the cost per QALY gained remained substantially higher than default estimates.ConclusionsAssumptions on future costs, utility and mortality from other causes of morbidity substantially impact cost-effectiveness outcomes of cancer screening. More empiric evidence and consensus are needed to guide assumptions in future analyses.

Colorectal cancer screening offering colonoscopy and FIT vs. colonoscopy alone improved participation.

Pilonis ND, Bugajski M, Wieszczy P, et al. Participation in competing strategies for colorectal cancer screening: a randomized health services study (PICCOLINO study). Gastroenterology. 2021;160:1097-105. 33307024.

Determinants of colorectal cancer screening in Germany: a claims data analysis.

With an incidence of 58,000 cases per year, colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common type of cancer in Germany. Although guaiac-based fecal occult blood tests (gFOBT) and colonoscopy are accepted strategies for CRC screening offered for individuals aged 50 or 55 onwards, utilization rates remain low.This study examines various determinants for participation in CRC screening using claims data provided by the AOK Niedersachsen and covering the years 2014 to 2016. Using multivariate logistic regression models, we analyzed sociodemographic factors (sex, age, nationality, type of employment) associated with screening behavior, including individuals who underwent colonoscopy or gFOBT. The effect of school education and professional qualification was estimated using subgroups of employees with social insurance.The analysis consisted of 620,977 insured individuals in the study population for screening colonoscopy, while the gFOBT study population contained 845,191 individuals. With increasing age, individuals were less likely to participate in CRC screening. Participation rates for screening were higher for women than men in younger age groups. However, men in higher age groups showed increased participation rates in gFOBT screening. When compared with German citizens, Turkish citizens use the colonoscopy less often and the gFOBT more often. In contrast to employees with social insurance, unemployed individuals accept the prevention services less frequently, whereas pensioners and voluntarily insured individuals exhibit increased participation rates. In terms of education and professional qualification, we estimated a significantly lower participation rate exclusively for the least educated individuals. The results help to better understand patterns of utilization and can contribute to the development of information programs for specific groups.

Age, male sex, smoking and metabolic syndrome as risk factors of advanced colorectal neoplasia for fecal immunochemical test negative patients

Fecal immunochemical test (FIT) is worldwide strategy for colorectal cancer screening. The subjects with negative FIT still have the risk of an advanced colorectal neoplasia (AN), including adenoma with villous histology, high grade dysplasia or larger than 1cm in size, or adenocarcinoma. The study determined the risk factors associated with AN in FIT-negative subjects. The study included asymptomatic subjects who received health checkup colonoscopy and have provided FIT study within 6 months prior to colonoscopy. The risk factors to have AN in cases with negative FIT were analyzed. The numbers of colonoscopies needed to detect one AN were calculated for the subjects with different risk factors. There were 1411 cases, 85 with positive FIT and 1326 with negative FIT within 6 months before colonoscopy. In FIT positive and FIT negative cases, 45.9% and 34.6% were found to have colorectal adenoma, while 20.2% and 4.6% had AN, respectively. The univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that age more than 50 years old, male sex, smoking history and metabolic syndrome were the significant risk factors to have AN in the FIT negative cases. For cases with negative FIT to have these risk factors, the number of colonoscopies needed to detect one AN was 3.7, lower than 4.5 of the cases with positive FIT. For the cases with negative FIT, colonoscopy screening should be considered for those male patients over 50 years old, with a history of smoking and metabolic syndrome to detect AN.

Colorectal cancer screening and surveillance strategy for patients with Diamond Blackfan anemia: Preliminary recommendations from the Diamond Blackfan Anemia Registry.

Diamond Blackfan anemia (DBA) is a rare inherited bone marrow failure syndrome characterized by red cell failure, congenital anomalies, poor linear growth, and cancer predisposition. Two previous analyses from the Diamond Blackfan Anemia Registry have quantified DBA as a cancer predisposition syndrome of moderate cancer penetrance. Patients with DBA have a 4.8-fold higher relative risk of developing cancer with an overall cumulative incidence of 13.7% by age 45 years. The two most prevalent solid tumors are colorectal cancer (CRC) and osteogenic sarcoma. Current and evolving data support the institution of cancer screening and surveillance strategies for CRC in DBA.

Effectiveness and Cost-effectiveness of Mailed FIT in a Safety Net Clinic Population.

Mailed fecal immunochemical testing (FIT) can increase colorectal cancer (CRC) screening rates, including for vulnerable patients, but its cost-effectiveness is unclear. We sought to examine the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the initial cycle of our mailed FIT program from November 2017 to July 2019 in a federally qualified health center (FQHC) system in Central Texas. Single group intervention and economic analysis PARTICIPANTS: Eligible patients were those ages 50-75 who had been seen recently in a system practice and were not up to date with screening. The program mailing packet included an introductory letter in plain language, the FIT itself, easy to read instructions, and a postage-paid lab mailer, supplemented with written and text messaging reminders. We measured effectiveness based on completion of mailed FIT and cost-effectiveness in terms of cost per person screened. Costs were measured using detailed micro-costing techniques from the perspective of a third-party payer and expressed in 2019 US dollars. Direct costs were based on material supply costs and detailed observations of labor required, valued at the wage rate. Of the 22,838 eligible patients who received program materials, mean age was 59.0, 51.5% were female, and 43.9% were Latino. FIT were successfully completed by 19.2% (4395/22,838) patients at an average direct cost of $5275.70 per 500-patient mailing. Assuming completed tests from the mailed intervention represent incremental screening, the direct cost per patient screened, compared with no intervention, was $54.83. Incorporating start-up and indirect costs increases total costs to $7014.45 and cost per patient screened to $72.90. Alternately, assuming 2.5% and 5% screening without the intervention increased the direct (total) cost per patient screened to $60.03 ($80.80) and $67.05 ($91.47), respectively. Mailed FIT is an effective and cost-effective population health strategy for CRC screening in vulnerable patients.

Strategies for colorectal cancer screening and post-polypectomy surveillance for young adults under age 50

Strategies for colorectal cancer screening and post-polypectomy surveillance for young adults under age 50

Proteomics study of colorectal cancer and adenomatous polyps identifies TFR1, SAHH, and HV307 as potential biomarkers for screening

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a malignant tumour with high morbidity and mortality worldwide. Efficient screening strategies for CRC and pre-cancerous lesions can promote early medical intervention and treatment, thereby reducing morbidity and mortality. Proteins are generally considered key biomarkers of cancer. Herein, we performed a quantitative, original-tissue proteomics study in a cohort of ninety patients from pre-cancerous to cancerous conditions via liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. In total, 134,812 peptides, 8697 proteins, 2355 union differentially expressed proteins (DEPs), and 409 shared DEPs (compared with adjacent tissues) were identified. The number of DEPs indicated a positive correlation with increasing severity of illness. The union and shared DEPs were both enriched in the KEGG pathway of focal adhesion, metabolism of xenobiotics by cytochrome P450, and drug metabolism by cytochrome P450. Among the 2355 union DEPs, 32 were selected for identification and validation by multiple reaction monitoring from twenty plasma specimens. Of these, three proteins, transferrin receptor protein 1 (TFR1), adenosylhomocysteinase (SAHH), and immunoglobulin heavy variable 3–7 (HV307), were significantly differentially expressed and displayed the same expression pattern in plasma as observed in the tissue data. In conclusion, TFR1, SAHH, and HV307 may be considered as potential biomarkers for CRC screening. SignificanceAlthough CRC is a malignant tumour with high morbidity and mortality worldwide, efficient screening strategies for CRC and pre-cancerous lesions can play an important role in addressing these issues. Screening of molecular biomarkers provide a non-invasive, cost-effective, and efficient approach. Proteins are generally considered key molecular biomarkers of cancer. Our study reports a quantitative proteomics analysis of protein biomarkers for colorectal cancer (CRC) and adenomatous polyps, and identifies TFR1, SAHH, and HV307 as potential biomarkers for screening. This research makes a significant contribution to the literature as although mass spectrometry-based proteomics research has been widely used for clinical research, its application to clinical translation as parallel specimens ranging from pre-cancerous to cancerous tissues—according to the degree of disease progression—has not been readily assessed.

An examination of socioeconomic and racial/ethnic disparities in the awareness, knowledge and utilization of three colorectal cancer screening modalities.

While colorectal cancer (CRC) mortality rates have been decreasing, disparities by socioeconomic status (SES) and race/ethnicity persist. CRC screening rates remain suboptimal among low SES and racial/ethnic minority populations, despite the availability of multiple screening modalities. Understanding awareness, knowledge, and utilization of common screening modalities within different racial/ethnic and SES groups is critical to inform efforts to improve population screening uptake and reduce disparities in CRC-related health outcomes. Through the theoretical lenses of diffusion of innovation and fundamental cause theory, we examined the associations of race/ethnicity and SES with awareness, knowledge, and utilization of three guideline recommended CRC screening strategies among individuals at average risk for CRC. Data were obtained from a survey of a nationally representative panel of US adults conducted in November 2019. The survey was completed by 31.3% of invited panelists (1595 of 5097). Analyses were focused on individuals at average risk for CRC, aged 45–75 for awareness and knowledge outcomes (n = 1062) and aged 50–75 for utilization outcomes (n = 858). Analyses revealed racial/ethnic and SES disparities among the three CRC screening modalities, with more racial/ethnic and SES differences observed in the awareness, knowledge, and utilization of screening colonoscopy and mt-sDNA than FIT/gFOBT. Patterns of disparities are consistent with previous research showing that inequities in social and economic resources are associated with an imbalanced adoption of medical innovations. Our findings demonstrate a need to increase awareness, knowledge, and access of various CRC screening modalities in specific populations defined by race/ethnicity or SES indicators. Efforts to increase CRC screening should be tailored to the needs and social-cultural context of populations. Interventions addressing inequalities in social and economic resources are also needed to achieve more equitable adoption of CRC screening modalities and reduce disparities in CRC-related health outcomes.

Combining the Fecal Immunochemical Test with a Logistic Regression Model for Screening Colorectal Neoplasia

Background: The fecal immunochemical test (FIT) is a widely used strategy for colorectal cancer (CRC) screening with moderate sensitivity. To further increase the sensitivity of FIT in identifying colorectal neoplasia, in this study, we established a classifier model by combining FIT result and other demographic and clinical features. Methods: A total of 4,477 participants were examined with FIT and those who tested positive (over 100 ng/ml) were followed up by a colonoscopy examination. Demographic and clinical information of participants including four domains (basic information, clinical history, diet habits and life styles) that consist of 15 features were retrieved from questionnaire surveys. A mean decrease accuracy (MDA) score was used to select features that are mostly related to CRC. Five different algorithms including logistic regression (LR), classification and regression tree (CART), support vector machine (SVM), artificial neural network (ANN) and random forest (RF) were used to generate a classifier model, through a 10X cross validation process. Area under curve (AUC) and normalized mean squared error (NMSE) were used in the evaluation of the performance of the model. Results: The top six features that are mostly related to CRC include age, gender, history of intestinal adenoma or polyposis, smoking history, gastrointestinal discomfort symptom and fruit eating habit were selected. LR algorithm was used in the generation of the model. An AUC score of 0.92 and an NMSE score of 0.076 were obtained by the final classifier model in separating normal individuals from participants with colorectal neoplasia. Conclusion: Our results provide a new “Funnel” strategy in colorectal neoplasia screening via adding a classifier model filtering step between FIT and colonoscopy examination. This strategy minimizes the need of colonoscopy examination while increases the sensitivity of FIT-based CRC screening.

Effects of cancer screening restart strategies after COVID-19 disruption

BackgroundMany breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screening programmes were disrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to estimate the effects of five restart strategies after the disruption on required screening capacity and cancer burden.MethodsMicrosimulation models simulated five restart strategies for breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screening. The models estimated required screening capacity, cancer incidence, and cancer-specific mortality after a disruption of 6 months. The restart strategies varied in whether screens were caught up or not and, if so, immediately or delayed, and whether the upper age limit was increased.ResultsThe disruption in screening programmes without catch-up of missed screens led to an increase of 2.0, 0.3, and 2.5 cancer deaths per 100 000 individuals in 10 years in breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer, respectively. Immediately catching-up missed screens minimised the impact of the disruption but required a surge in screening capacity. Delaying screening, but still offering all screening rounds gave the best balance between required capacity, incidence, and mortality.ConclusionsStrategies with the smallest loss in health effects were also the most burdensome for the screening organisations. Which strategy is preferred depends on the organisation and available capacity in a country.