To print: Select File and then Print from your browser's menu --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Title: Patients Over Age 80 Years May Benefit From Screening Colonoscopy: Presented at ACG URL: http://www.pslgroup.com/dg/216082.htm Doctor's Guide October 22, 2007
By Danny Kucharsky PHILADELPHIA, PA -- October 22, 2007 -- Although screening for colonoscopy remains controversial for patients over the age of 80 years, these patients may still benefit from colonoscopies, according to two studies presented here at the annual scientific meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG). The studies, presented here on October 16, are among the first to demonstrate that screening colonoscopy can improve survival in elderly patients. In one study, Roy Yen, MD, Gastroenterologist, University of Buffalo and VA Western New York, Buffalo, New York, United States, and colleagues collected data for the 587 screening and surveillance colonoscopies performed at his institution in 2004 and assembled cohorts for patients who were aged 80 years or more (n=56) and younger than 80 years (n=531) at the time of procedure. The researchers collected data on the number and location of adenomas, histology, presence of advanced adenomas (>1cm, villous features, high grade dysplasia), and colon cancer. Patients in the study group were all male and had a mean age of 82.4 years, while the younger cohort consisted of 94.9% male subjects, with a mean age of 62.7 years. There were no differences between the two groups in proportions of patients who had previous sigmoidoscopy, high risk screening, history of polyps and history of colon cancer. Significantly more of the elderly patients than younger patients had adenomas (35.7% vs 20.4%, P <.01) and proximal adenomas (19.6% vs 9.8%, P <.05), and there was a trend for more advanced proximal adenomas compared with younger patients (12.5 vs 6.0%, P =.06). Thirty-nine of the elderly cohort (72.2%) were alive at least 2.5 years after the procedure, a number not significantly different when compared with the percentage of patients aged 70 to 79 years who still alive (82.2%) in the same time period (P = NS). The second study set out to determine whether screening colonoscopy leads to earlier detection of colorectal cancer in the elderly and thus, whether it improves survival. Emily Singh, MD, Radiologist, Scripps Clinic, La Jolla, California, United States, and colleagues reviewed the records from the Scripps Green Hospital Cancer Registry from 2000 to 2005 for pathology-proven colorectal cancer. Overall, 356 patients were studied, of whom 243 were symptomatic and 113 asymptomatic. There was a highly significant sustained difference in stage of disease favouring patients who were asymptomatic versus symptomatic for the study group and for all ages between 50 and 84 years (P <.00013). After a 2-year minimum follow-up, the investigators found asymptomatic patients had significantly improved survival compared with symptomatic patients (P <.001). The investigators concluded there is a role for screening colonoscopy in asymptomatic individuals without significant comorbidities up to age 84. "In recognition that the average life expectancy at age 80 years without significant comorbidities is 9 years, we conclude that there is a role for screening colonoscopy in individuals without undue comorbidities at least to age 85," the researchers concluded. [Presentation title: Screening Colonoscopy in Patients Older Than 80 Years and Screening Colonoscopy in the Elderly, Is it Worthwhile? Abstracts 1000 and 1001] --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright © 1999 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of P\S\L content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of P\S\L. P\S\L shall not be liable for any errors, omissions or delays in this content or any other content on its sites, newsletters or other publications, nor for any decisions or actions taken in reliance on such content. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This news story was printed from *Doctor's Guide to the Internet* located at http://www.docguide.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Return to News Story Page This site is maintained by webmaster@pslgroup.com Please contact us with any comments, problems or bugs. All contents Copyright (c) 1998 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved.