Population-based Cancer Screening Program Research Articles

Phone-Based Breasts Self-Examination as an Intervention in Breast Cancer Control During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

ImportanceExploring methods to mitigate the effect of COVID-19 pandemic on routine cancer screening activities among women.ObjectiveTo investigate the effectiveness of telephone-based outreach as a substitute for physical screening for breast among screened women, during COVID-19 lockdown.Design/Setting/SubjectsAsymptomatic women aged 30–59 years were screened for breast and cervix cancers in the Chennai region, between January 2017 and March 2020 and are due for screening follow-up. A database from the population-based cancer screening program organized by the Cancer Institute during the above period was used for the study. Outcome data were obtained through the period from October 2020 to March 2021.InterventionPhone-based breast self-examination awareness, inquiry about breast cancer symptoms, and guiding clinical management.Outcome MeasureCompliance to BSE protocol after 8–16 weeks, presence of significant symptoms, and incidence of early breast cancer.ResultsAmong 12,242 screened women, 6716 (56.8%) responded to a phone-based BSE intervention and 53 women had breast-related symptoms. Thirty-two (60.4%) women reported for further evaluation, and five invasive breast cancers were identified.Conclusion and RelevanceIn a low-resource setting where there are no existent screening programs, simple interventions like teaching breast self-examination of women through tele-counseling can result in early detection of breast cancers.

Lung cancer risk prediction nomogram in Chinese female non-smokers.

10530 Background: About 53% of lung cancers in females are not attributable to smoking worldwide. The aim was to develop and validate a simple and non-invasive model which could assess and stratify lung cancer risk in female non-smokers in China. Methods: A large-sample size, population-based study was conducted under the framework of a population-based Cancer Screening Program in Urban China (CanSPUC). Data on the lung cancer screening in Henan province, China, from October 2013 to October 2019 were used and randomly divided into the training and validation sets. Related risk factors were identified through multivariable Cox regression analysis, followed by establishment of risk prediction nomogram. Discrimination [area under the curve (AUC)] and calibration were further performed to assess the validation of risk prediction nomogram in the training set, and then validated by the validation set. Results: A total of 151,834 eligible subjects were included, with a mean age of 55.34 years. Subjects were randomly divided into the training (75,917) and validation (75,917) sets. Elder age, history of chronic respiratory disease, first-degree family history of lung cancer, menopause, and history of benign breast disease were the independent risk factors for lung cancer. Using these five variables, we plotted 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year lung cancer risk prediction nomogram. The AUC was 0.762, 0.718, and 0.703 for the 1-, 3- and 5-year lung cancer risk in the training set, respectively. In the validation set, the model showed a good predictive discrimination, with the AUC was 0.646, 0.658, and 0.650 for the 1-, 3- and 5-year lung cancer risk. Conclusions: We developed and validated a simple and non-invasive lung cancer risk model in female non-smokers. This model can be applied to identify and triage patients at high risk for developing lung cancers in female non-smokers.

MP09-17 PREDICTING INCIDENCE VERSUS MORTALITY FOR CANCERS ASSOCIATED WITH OVERDIAGNOSIS: AN OVERLOOKED ISSUE FOR POLYGENIC RISK SCORES AND CANCER SCREENING

You have accessJournal of UrologyCME1 May 2022MP09-17 PREDICTING INCIDENCE VERSUS MORTALITY FOR CANCERS ASSOCIATED WITH OVERDIAGNOSIS: AN OVERLOOKED ISSUE FOR POLYGENIC RISK SCORES AND CANCER SCREENING Andrew Vickers, Amit Sud, Jonine Bernstein, and Richard Houlston Andrew VickersAndrew Vickers More articles by this author , Amit SudAmit Sud More articles by this author , Jonine BernsteinJonine Bernstein More articles by this author , and Richard HoulstonRichard Houlston More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1097/JU.0000000000002531.17AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookLinked InTwitterEmail Abstract INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Population-based cancer screening programs, including prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening for prostate cancer, are generally directed at all healthy individuals in a given age stratum. It has recently been proposed that PSA screening could be risk-stratified using polygenic risk scores (PRSs) based on panels of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs): those with high PRS would be screened whereas those with low PRS would be exempted. However, prostate cancer PRSs were generated using the endpoint of cancer incidence rather than cancer-specific mortality, and it has been demonstrated that the PRSs do not differentially predict lethal vs. indolent disease. As such, use of PRSs to risk-stratify screening will not address overdiagnosis, the major problem associated with PSA screening. METHODS: We developed a simple net benefit formulation to comparing different screening strategies, given as: deaths prevented – number screened / NWS – number diagnosed / (NWD -1), where NWS and NWD are the number of individuals we would be willing to, respectively, screen and diagnose, to prevent one death. We applied the formula to empirical data on PSA screening and varied NWS and NWD to assess the effects on our findings. RESULTS: Risk-stratifying PSA screening using a PRS that does not differentially discriminate between incident and lethal cancer did not improve screening outcomes in our model. Net benefit was 4 per 1000 for screening all eligible men. For a PRS with a C-index of 0.75 (higher than is typically found) but which did not discriminate between incidence and mortality, net benefit was 3.80, 3.36 and 1.78 for restricting screening to those with the highest 50%, 25% and 10% PRS. Net benefit was far lower for a concordance index of 0.65, closer to what is often reported. Results were robust for different choices of NWS and NWD. In contrast, risk stratifying screening based on PSA, which does predict mortality better than incidence, was associated with a net benefit up to 5.64, higher than that for screening all men. CONCLUSIONS: Using PSA levels to determine which men should continue screening will improve screening outcomes; using PRS to risk-stratify screening will do more harm than good. If PRS-based cancer screening is to be effective, research needs to focus on identifying PRSs associated with cancer mortality. Source of Funding: This work was supported in part by the National Institutes of Health/National Cancer Institute (NIH/NCI) with a Cancer Center Support Grant to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center [P30 CA008748], a SPORE grant in Prostate Cancer to Dr. H. Scher [P50-CA92629], the Sidney Kimmel Center for Prostate and Urologic Cancers. R.H. acknowledges grant support from Cancer Research UK (C1298/A8362) and the Wellcome Trust (214388). A.S. is in receipt of a National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Academic Clinical Lectureship and funding from the Royal Marsden Biomedical Research Centre. This is a summary of independent research supported by the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust and the Institute of Cancer Research. The views expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NHS, the NIHR or the Department of Health © 2022 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 207Issue Supplement 5May 2022Page: e143 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2022 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.MetricsAuthor Information Andrew Vickers More articles by this author Amit Sud More articles by this author Jonine Bernstein More articles by this author Richard Houlston More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement PDF DownloadLoading ...

Flemish population-based cancer screening programs: impact of COVID-19 related shutdown on short-term key performance indicators

BackgroundMany breast, colorectal, and cervical cancer screening programs were disrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to estimate the short-term impact of the temporary shutdown (from March until May- June) of the cancer screening programs invitations in Flanders (Belgium) by looking at invitation coverage, percentage of people screened after invitation and the screening interval.MethodsYearly invitation coverage was calculated as the number of people who received an invitation, as a proportion of the people who should have received an invitation that year. Weekly response to the invitation was calculated as the number of people who were screened within 40 days of their date of invitation, as a percentage of the people who received an invitation that week (as a proxy for willingness to screen). Weekly screening interval was calculated as the mean number of months between the current screening and the previous screening of all the people who screened that week. The two last indicators were calculated for each week in 2019 and 2020, after which the difference between that week’s value in 2020 and 2019 with 95% confidence intervals. Results of these two indicators were also analysed after stratification for gender, age and participation history.ResultsInvitation coverage was not impacted in the colorectal and cervical cancer screening program. In the breast cancer screening program invitation coverage went down from 97.5% (2019) to 88.7% (2020), and the backlog of invitations was largely resolved in the first six months of 2021. The willingness to screen was minimally influenced by COVID-19. The breast cancer screening program had a temporary increase in screening interval in the first months following the restart after COVID-19 related shutdown, when it was on average 2.1 months longer than in 2019.ConclusionsWillingness to screen was minimally influenced by COVID-19, but there may be an influence on screening coverage because of lower invitation coverage, mainly for the for breast Cancer Screening Program. The increases in screening intervals for the three Cancer Screening Program seem reasonable and would probably not significantly increase the risk of delayed screening cancer diagnoses. When restarting a Cancer Screening Program after a COVID-19 related shutdown, monitoring is crucial.

Participation and Yield of a Lung Cancer Screening Program in Hebei, China.

ObjectiveLung cancer screening has been widely conducted in Western countries. However, population-based lung cancer screening programs in Hebei in China are sparse. Our study aimed to assess the participation rate and detection rate of positive nodules and lung cancer in Hebei province.MethodIn total, 228 891 eligible participants aged 40–74 years were enrolled in the Cancer Screening Program in Hebei from 2013 to 2019. A total of 54 846 participants were evaluated as the lung cancer high-risk population by a risk score system which basically followed the Harvard Risk Index and was adjusted for the characteristics of the Chinese population. Then this high-risk population was recommended for low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) screening. And all participants attended annual passive follow-up, and the active follow-up interval was based on radiologist’s suggestion. All participants were followed-up until December 31, 2020. The overall, group-specific participation rates were calculated, and its associated factors were analyzed by a multivariable logistic regression model. Participation rates and detection of positive nodules and lung cancer were reported.ResultsThe overall participation rate was 52.69%, where 28 899 participants undertook LDCT screening as recommended. The multivariable logistic regression model demonstrated that a high level of education, having disease history, and occupational exposure were found to be associated with the participation in LDCT screening. The median follow-up time was 3.56 person-years. Overall, the positive identification of lung nodules and suspected lung cancer were 12.73% and 1.46% through LDCT screening. After the native and passive follow-up, 257 lung cancer cases were diagnosed by lung cancer screening, and the detection rate of lung cancer was 0.89% in the screening group. And its incidence density was 298.72 per 100,000. Positive lung nodule rate and detection rate were increased with age.ConclusionOur study identified personal and epidemiological factors that could affect the participation rate. Our findings could provide the guideline for precise prevention and control of lung cancer in the future.

Benefits of a nationwide population-based skin cancer screening programme - still a controversial debate.

Abstract Linked Article: Datzmann et al. Br J Dermatol 2022; 186:69–77.

Queue hurdle Coxian phase-type model for two-stage process of population-based cancer screening

The quality assurance of two-stage population-based cancer screening program is determined by arrival rate (attending screening), positive rate (determined by the criteria of screening test), the compliance and the waiting time (WT) for confirmatory diagnosis in those screened as positive. These parameters were correlated between the process of screening procedures and the effectiveness of screening program. To capture such an inter-dependence of these parameters and quantify the effectiveness of program, we proposed a Queue hurdle Coxian phase-type (QH-CPH) model to estimate the arrival rate of screenees with the Poisson Queue process and the compliance rate of confirmatory diagnosis with the hurdle model, and also to identify the hidden states of WT that is affected by the capacity of health care and relevant covariates (such as demographic features and geographic areas) with the Coxian phase-type (CPH) process. We applied the proposed QH-CPH model to Taiwanese nationwide colorectal cancer screening program data for estimating the arrival rate and the probability of not complying with colonoscopy and classifying the compliers into two hidden states, short-waiting phase and long-waiting phase for colonoscopy. Significant covariates responsible for three processes were also identified by using the proportional hazards regression forms. A simulation study was further performed to assess the joint effect of these parameters on WT through a series of scenarios. The proposed QH-CPH model can provide an insight into the optimal and the practical design on population-based cancer screening for health policy-makers given the limited health care resources and capacity.

Association of cancer prevention awareness with liver cancer screening participation rates among a high-risk population: results from rural Anhui Province.

Association of cancer prevention awareness with liver cancer screening participation rates among a high-risk population: results from rural Anhui Province.

Risk of Liver Cirrhosis in HBV/HCV-Infected Individuals with First-Degree Relatives Who Have Liver Cancer: Development and Validation of a Simple Model.

Identification of high-risk population among hepatitis B virus (HBV)/hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected individuals with first-degree relatives (FDR) who have liver cancer is important to implement precise intervention. A cross-sectional study was conducted under the framework of a population-based Cancer Screening Program in Urban China (CanSPUC), aimed to develop and validate a simple noninvasive model that could assess and stratify cirrhosis risk, in HBV/HCV-infected individuals with FDRs who have liver cancer. People who participated in liver cancer screening in Henan province were enrolled. Using the data set consisting of participants admitted from October 1, 2013, to December 31, 2016, a 24-point scale risk score model was developed through logistic regression, based on educational background, dietary habit, smoking index, cooking oil fume exposure, history of severe trauma, HBV/HCV infection status, history of diabetes, history of hyperlipidemia, and parent history of liver cancer. The model showed excellent discrimination with area under the receiver operator characteristic curve (AUROC) of 0.875 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.853-0.896] and fair calibration with a Hosmer-Lemeshow test P = 0.106. The prevalence rates in the medium- and high-risk groups were 2.87 (95% CI, 1.94-4.25) and 47.57 (95% CI, 31.59-71.63) times of low-risk group, respectively. After internal validation, bias-corrected AUROC was 0.874 (95% CI, 0.873-0.875). In the external validation data set consisting of participants admitted from January 1, 2017, to October 31, 2018, the model had achieved similar discrimination, calibration, and risk stratification ability. In conclusion, the risk score model we developed can be a practical tool for the screening and prevention of liver cirrhosis among HBV/HCV-infected individuals with FDRs who have liver cancer. PREVENTION RELEVANCE: We created a simple and noninvasive cirrhosis risk model for individuals infected by HBV/HCV who have FDRs with liver cancer. This model is useful not only for the prognosis of HBV/HCV infection, but also for the prevention of hepatocellular carcinoma.

The Impact of Covid-19 on the population-based cancer screening programmes. Basque Country (Spain)

BackgroundThe Breast Cancer (BCS) and Colorectal Cancer (CRCS) screening programmes are consolidated in the Basque Country with coverage and participation rates according to EU recommendations. The Cervical Cancer Screening (CCS) carried out in 2018 achieved an appropriate migration from an opportunistic programme an coverage in 2019. The pandemic disrupted the invitations and participation because of the lockdown and procedures offered because of Covid-19 safety measures since then. Objective: Analysis of the expected impact of the pandemic on early detection of advanced lesions and cancer.MethodsRetrospective cohort study including all invitations 2016-2020 and results estimated (E) and observed (O) in 2020 without and with pandemic. Analysis R v 4.0. Description of measures taken into account to minimize the decrease of activity.ResultsEligible population in BCS O/E were 54.4% (CI 95%: 41.0-41.6; p < 0.05) (85,574 vs 150,534), estimating 202 BC (35 in situ and 167 advanced) not detected. In CRCS eligible population O/E were 39.2% (CI 95%: 44.9-45.3; p < 0.05) (119,851 vs 257,889), estimating 1,695 advanced neoplasias (1,540 advanced adenomas and 154 invasive cancer) not detected. The CCS invitation had an important delay, with a 30% of target population invited (42,654 vs 142,180 women). Participation rate showed a slight decrease in the three programmes. The main measures implemented to minimize the disruption effects were: prioritization of confirmed diagnosis, increased activity to recover from the delays in 2020-2021 and the establishment of protocols to decrease intensive surveillance in case of post-colonoscopy.ConclusionsThe Pandemic has significantly affected the three population-based programmes, showing a reduction of its benefits in incidence and mortality at medium-long term as the COVID-19 and Cancer Global Modelling Consortium (CCGMC) appointed and published. Stakeholders should take into consideration the quick recovery of them.Key messages The benefits of the cancer screning programmes are seriously affected.It is needed to measure the COVID-19 consecuencies in cancer screening programmes.

Feasibility of endoscopic evaluation of Helicobacter pylori infection status by using the Kyoto classification of gastritis in the population-based gastric cancer screening program: A prospective cohort study.

Background and aimsWe have started a new population‐based endoscopic gastric cancer screening program in Kurashiki city with consideration of Helicobacter pylori infection status based on endoscopic features. We aimed to verify the feasibility of this attempt in a prospective case‐registration study (UMIN000028629).MethodsData were collected from 1784 subjects without past eradication of H. pylori and who underwent endoscopic gastric cancer screening in Kurashiki Central Hospital Preventive Healthcare Plaza from September 2017 to June 2018. Endoscopic judgment of H. pylori infection status was made according to the Kyoto classification of gastritis. For comparison, a combination serum test of anti‐H. pylori antibody and pepsinogen I and II, the ABC method, was used.ResultsThe endoscopic diagnoses were nongastritis, 1215 (68.1%); active or inactive gastritis, 469 (26.3%); and undefined, 23 (1.3%). With the ABC method as a reference standard, the false‐negative rate of the endoscopic judgment for H. pylori infection was 16.3% (95% confidence interval: 13.1%‐20.0%). Most false‐negative cases were of Group B in the ABC method, which is considered gastritis with mild mucosal atrophy. Antibody titers in this population were mostly in the weak‐positive range but clinically significant elevation of the antibody suggesting current infection was observed in some cases.ConclusionsEndoscopic diagnosis of H. pylori infection status in a population‐based gastric cancer screening program is mostly reliable, but false‐negative results may occur, especially in patients with mild gastric atrophy. To avoid this limitation, we recommend adding H. pylori antibody test to the program.

Trends in high-risk rates and screening rates for the population-based cancer screening program on esophageal, stomach and liver cancer in China, 2010-2016

BackgroundA population-based cancer screening program in rural China, targeting three types of cancer that are most prevalent in these areas, including esophageal, stomach, and liver cancer was awarded by the government in China since 2007. A two-step design with cancer risk assessment based on questionnaire interview and HBsAg test strip and subsequent clinical intervention for high-risk populations was adopted with free of charge at the local hospitals designated in the program. The participate rate including high-risk rates and screening rates was important to find appropriate strategies to improve the overall awareness of the program. MethodsData from the cancer screening program between 2010 and 2016 were used to calculate higher rate (high-risk population/ participants recruited) and screening rate (participants received screening/ high-risk population). ResultsFrom 2010 to 2016, 1,637,429 residents were recruited in the program and filled the questionnaires, 350,646 (21.4%) for esophagus cancer, 273,715 (16.7%) for stomach cancer and 1,013,068 (61.9%) for liver cancer. 471,974 participants were assessed as high-risk population including 114,786 (24.3%) high risk for esophagus cancer, 161,809 (34.3%) high risk for stomach cancer and 195,379 (41.4%) high risk for liver cancer, respectively. 249,185 (52.8%) participants who were assessed as high risk received clinical screening. There were 64,710 (26.0%) for esophagus cancer screening, 71,365 (28.6%) for stomach cancer screening and 113,110 (45.4%) for liver cancer screening, respectively. ConclusionOur findings will provide important references for designing effective population-based screening strategies to enhance the screening acceptance by health action plan in the future.

Text messaging as a tool to improve cancer screening programs (M-TICS Study): A randomized controlled trial protocol.

BackgroundShort message service (SMS) based interventions are widely used in healthcare and have shown promising results to improve cancer screening programs. However, more research is still needed to implement SMS in the screening process. We present a study protocol to assess the impact on health and economics of three targeted SMS-based interventions in population-based cancer screening programs.Methods/DesignThe M-TICs study is a randomized controlled trial with a formal process evaluation. Participants aged 50–69 years identified as eligible from the colorectal cancer (CRC) and breast cancer (BC) screening program of the Catalan Institute of Oncology (Catalonia, Spain) will be randomly assigned to receive standard invitation procedure (control group) or SMS-based intervention to promote participation. Two interventions will be conducted in the CRC screening program: 1) Screening invitation reminder: Those who do not participate in the CRC screening within 6 weeks of invite will receive a reminder (SMS or letter); 2) Reminder to complete and return fecal immunochemical test (FIT) kit: SMS reminder versus no intervention to individuals who have picked up a FIT kit at the pharmacy and they have not returned it after 14 days. The third intervention will be performed in the BC screening program. Women who had been screened previously will receive an SMS invitation or a letter invitation to participate in the screening.As a primary objective we will assess the impact on participation for each intervention. The secondary objectives will be to analyze the cost-effectiveness of the interventions and to assess participants’ perceptions.Expected resultsThe results from this randomized controlled trial will provide important empirical evidence for the use of mobile phone technology as a tool for improving population-based cancer screening programs. These results may influence the cancer screening invitation procedure in future routine practice.Trial registrationRegistry: NCT04343950 (04/09/2020); clinicaltrials.gov.

Feasibility, uptake and real-life challenges of a rural cervical and breast cancer screening program in Vellore, Tamil Nadu, South India.

Early detection of breast and cervical cancer by organized screening has been found to reduce mortality rates in trials, but documentation of programme results and challenges is rarely done from non-trial settings. This study reports results of a population-based cancer control programme in a rural block in Vellore, Tamil Nadu, population size (116,085), targeting a population of 18,490 women aged 25-60 years, between November 2014 and March 2018. Village-based health education sessions were conducted by social workers, using trained volunteers and health workers to motivate eligible women. Screening was done at a secondary level hospital, by trained general physicians using visual inspection with acetic acid and clinical breast examination, followed by colposcopy, radiological imaging (breast) and biopsy as required. A total of 8 volunteers and 17 health workers motivated women for 93 health education and screening sessions, in 46 out of 82 villages. While 1,890/18,490 (10.2 per cent) were screened for breast cancer, 1,783 (9.6 per cent) were screened for cervical cancer, with a yield of 3.4/1,000 for cervical pre-cancer/cancer. The main challenges were creating time for screening activities in a busy secondary hospital and difficulty in ensuring treatment completion of screen-detected cases. Population-based cancer screening programs can be offered by secondary hospitals that also run primary care services, to increase screening rates. Clear referral systems need to be established, bearing in mind that social factors, especially poor family support, may pose a threat to treatment, in spite of easy availability of cure.

Determinants of Compliance to Population-Based Oral Cancer Screening Program among low Socioeconomic Women in Mumbai, India.

Background:The use of tobacco, especially smokeless variety, is common and culturally accepted among Indian women. Hence, oral cavity cancers rank as the fourth most common cancers among Indian women.Objectives:The objectives of this study were to study factors determining compliance of women for oral cancer screening in a population-based program in Mumbai and to create awareness among women regarding ill effects of tobacco and importance of oral cancer screening.Materials and Methods:This is a community-based organized service program for awareness and screening of oral cavity cancers among women residing in low socioeconomic areas of Mumbai, India. Screening was conducted by oral visual inspection by trained primary health workers (PHWs). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify predictors of participation in oral cancer screening.Results:138,383 population was surveyed, out of which 13,492 eligible women were enlisted for oral cancer screening. Among these, 12,495 were contacted and 11,895 (95.12%) women participated in a cancer awareness program and 11,768 (94.18%) participated in oral cancer screening. According to results of multivariate logistic regression analysis, women belonging to Hindu religion 94.57%, with mother tongue Marathi 94.76%, and with family history of cancer 95.84% complied significantly higher to oral cancer screening as compared to other women.Conclusion:This program has assisted in identifying predictors of compliance to oral cavity screening. Furthermore, it demonstrates that good compliance can be achieved through multiple household visits, personal invitation during camps, organizing well-planned Health Education Program, and the use of simple, low-cost visual inspection test performed by trained PHWs.

Prostate Cancer Screening with PSA: Ten Years' Experience of Population Based Early Prostate Cancer Detection Programme in Lithuania.

The aim of this study is to report key performance estimates from the ten years of a population-based prostate cancer screening programme in Lithuania. Retrospective analysis of screening activities recorded in 2006–2015 among men aged 50–74 years was performed. We estimated screening coverage, cancer detection rate, compliance to biopsy, and positive predictive values in each screening round inside and outside the target population. In the first 10 years of screening, 16,061 prostate cancer cases were registered within the screening programme, 10,202 were observed among screened men but reported outside the screening programme, and 1455 prostate cancers were observed in a screening-naïve population. Screening cover reached up to 45.5% of the target population in the recent rounds. The proportion of prostate specific antigen (PSA) test-positive men decreased from 16.9% in 2006 to 10.7% in 2014–2015. Up to 40.0% of PSA test-positive men received a biopsy, of whom 42.0% were positive for prostate cancer. The cancer detection rate was 10.4−15.0% among PSA test-positives and 1.4–1.9% among screened individuals. Screening participants were more likely to be diagnosed with organ-confined disease as compared to non-participants. Despite the unorganized screening practices being employed and low coverage per screening round, 70% of the target population were screened at least once in the first 10 years of screening.

Prevention in the age of personal responsibility: epigenetic risk-predictive screening for female cancers as a case study

Epigenetic markers could potentially be used for risk assessment in risk-stratified population-based cancer screening programmes. Whereas current screening programmes generally aim to detect existing cancer, epigenetic markers could be used...

Comparing the Real-World Effectiveness of High- Versus Low-Volume Split Colonoscopy Preparations: An Experience Through the British Columbia Colon Cancer Screening Program.

BackgroundThe British Columbia Colon Screening Program (BCCSP) is a population-based colon cancer screening program. In December 2018, physicians in Vancouver, Canada agreed to switch from a low-volume split preparation to a high-volume polyethylene glycol preparation after a meta-analysis of studies suggested superiority of the higher volume preparation in achieving adequate bowel cleansing and improving adenoma detection rates.AimsTo compare the quality of bowel preparation and neoplasia detection rates using a high-volume split preparation (HVSP) versus a low-volume split preparation (LVSP) in patients undergoing colonoscopy in the BCCSP.MethodsA retrospective review of patients undergoing colonoscopy through the BCCSP at St. Paul’s Hospital from July 2017 to November 2018 and December 2018 to November 2019 was conducted. Inclusion criteria included age 50 to 74 and patients undergoing colonoscopy through the BCCSP. Variables collected included patient demographics and bowel preparation quality. Rates of bowel preparation and neoplasia detection were analyzed using chi-squared test.ResultsA total of 1453 colonoscopies were included, 877 in the LVSP group and 576 in the HVSP group. No statistically significant difference was noted between rates of inadequate bowel preparation (LVSP 3.6% versus HVSP 2.8%; P = 0.364). Greater rates of excellent (48.4% versus 40.1%; P = 0.002) and optimal (90.1% versus 86.5%; P = 0.041) bowel preparation were achieved with HVSP. The overall adenoma detection rate was similar between the two groups (LVSP 53.1% versus HVSP 54.0%; P = 0.074). LVSP demonstrated higher overall sessile serrated lesion detection rate (9.5% versus 5.6%; P = 0.007).ConclusionsCompared to LVSP, HVSP was associated with an increase in excellent and optimal bowel preparations, but without an improvement in overall neoplasia detection.

Manual on the creation of quality indicators for population based cancer screening programs in Italy

Abstract Issue In many countries the organized screening programs have been in the frontline in developing and implementing the evaluation of the quality of screening and of the entire process of care following a positive test. Over the years, the three Italian Screening Groups (GIS) have separately published indicators and standards concerning the programs for breast, cervical and colorectal cancers they were responsible for, thus hampering coherence, homogeneity. In addition, at local level, an increasing number of indicators have been observed with difficult to monitor all of them. Description of the Problem The Screening Indicators Manual, prepared by a multidisciplinary working group, represents the guidance agreed upon by the Italian Screening Network (ONS) and the three GIS on how to develop, implement, communicate and maintain a set of quality indicators for the evaluation of cancer screening programs. Results The Manual indicates that the three GIS must first constitute, with ONS, the common steering committee made of six-nine experts. The involvement of the public and the management of the conflicts of interests are foreseen. The conceptual framework distinguishes indicators of context, coverage and process. It is based on six dimensions: efficacy, efficiency, security, appropriateness, person centeredness, equity. There are four macro-processes: invitation; test, further assessment and diagnosis; treatment and follow-up; evaluation. The methods include: a survey of the existent indicators, their selection with the Delphi method, the evaluation of the completeness of the resulting indicators set, its integration, when needed, by means of a public call, and finally a new Delphi round. Appropriate standards, empirical or evidence based, are then identified. Last, indicators are assigned to core or library list based on priority. Lessons Select, define and measure an indicator is a way to understand what we are aiming at even more than provide the measure of how we do it. Key messages The creation of the Manual allows to build a coherent evaluation framework for the three screening programs. The Manual promotes the adoption of rigorous methods and make feasible the monitoring activity according to its purpose, level of observation and detail of information needed.

Bridging the implementation and information gap on cancer prevention and survivorship in Europe: results from the iPAAC Joint Action

Abstract Background About 40% of cancers are preventable and of those cancers about 50% are due to tobacco. Cancer prevention and early detection can reduce remarkably cancer burden and inequalities with effective strategies from the European Code Against Cancer. A better use of registries data can help to bridge the existing information gaps on cancer survivors, a dramatically growing population challenging the sustainability of public health systems in Europe. Methods Policy implementation through collaborative efforts based on cancer registry data, comprehensive policies and innovations. Promotion of standards and methods to facilitate systematic delivery of comparable indicators on cancer survivors by country in Europe. Results In cancer prevention known effective measures require European-wide comprehensive action. Population-based cancer screening programmes need continuous quality assurance and follow-up. Prevalence of short- and long-term survivors derived from a joint European dataset (EUROCARE-6, 29 countries) show that differences in survivorship are wide, consistently with demography, incidence and survival patterns. Breast, colorectal and prostatic cancers are the most frequent among all cancer survivors. Conclusions Collaboration across fields of science and policy sectors is needed to boost cancer prevention. Cancer survivors are a growing heterogeneous population to be monitored in public health to support Health Technology Assessment and survivors' care planning. Key messages Priority actions are developed within iPAAC Joint Action to encourage effective policies and implementation. Joint analysis of standardised European datasets strengthens the impact of cancer registries information. Indicators on cancer prevalence should be systematically integrated in the European Cancer Information System (ECIS).