Colorectal cancer screening in Health Examination Centers

The aim of this study was to describe the results of colorectal cancer screening performed in the Health Examination Centers of the French general health insurance system.

The population consisted of 1,262,833 subjects (52.6% men) aged 50 to 74 years old who attended periodic health consultations from 1998 to 2003 in 89 Health Examination Centers in France. Subjects with increased risk for colorectal cancer and subjects with a positive fecal occult blood test (Hemoccult II') were invited to undergo colonoscopy. Subsequent follow-up and diagnostic data were collected.

Prior screening practices for colorectal cancer (recent colonoscopy or fecal occult blood test, local screening campaign) were noted in 18% of the subjects attending Health Examination Center consultations. High risk for colorectal cancer (familial or personal factor) without ongoing surveillance or prior screening was observed in 3% of the study population. A fecal occult blood test was proposed to 79% of the population and of them, 89% effectively performed the test: 3.2% of tests were positive. A follow-up protocol was initiated for 63,357 subjects. A colonic exploration was performed in 69% of high-risk subjects and enabled detection of cancer in 85 and adenomas in 1683. A colonic exploration was performed in 88% of subjects with a positive fecal occult blood test and enabled detection of 674 cancers (positive predictive value of fecal occult blood test (PPV)=4.7%) including 174 Dukes A, and 2618 adenomas (PPV=18%) including 776 adenomas measuring more than 10 mm (PPV=5.4%).

This study confirms the importance of implementing organized screening practices within Health Examination Centers before undertaking a generalized screen campaign targeting the entire French population.