Study: Endoscopies Significant Cut Long-Term Risk of Colon Cancer

Persons who have endoscopies to screen for colon cancer may significantly reduce their long-term risk of the disease, according to a report published in the British Journal of Cancer.

Several studies have implied that the incidence of and death rate from colorectal cancer may be reduced for up to 10 years by endoscopic screening with the removal of precancerous lesions.

Investigators studied the long-term risk of colorectal cancer following endoscopy screenings in a population-based study in Saarland, Germany.

Researchers looked at 320 cases of colorectal cancer in patients ages 45 to 80, and 263 people with other forms of cancer as a control group, and recorded the patients' lifetime history of endoscopy screenings.

While only 11 percent of patients with colon cancer had a history of endoscopy screening, 27 percent of the group with no colon cancer had been screened by endoscopy.

"Risk reduction by screening endoscopy is long lasting, in particular with respect to advanced colorectal cancer," the researchers concluded.

Other Sources: British Journal of Cancer