Long-Term Effectiveness of Sigmoidoscopy Screening on Colorectal Cancer Incidence and Mortality in Women and Men: A Randomized Trial

  • 0Sørlandet Hospital Kristiansand, Kristiansand, Norway, and University of Oslo Institute of Health and Society and Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway (Ø.H., M.L., M.B., T.J.E.).

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Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Flexible sigmoidoscopy screening significantly reduced colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence and mortality in men. However, the screening showed minimal impact on CRC rates for women after 15 years.

Area Of Science

  • Gastroenterology
  • Preventive Medicine
  • Oncology

Background

  • Long-term effects of sigmoidoscopy screening for colorectal cancer (CRC) remain unclear.
  • Previous studies have not definitively established CRC screening effectiveness in diverse populations.

Purpose Of The Study

  • To evaluate the 15-year effectiveness of flexible sigmoidoscopy screening.
  • To assess screening impact on colorectal cancer incidence and mortality in men and women.

Main Methods

  • A randomized controlled trial involving 98,678 participants aged 50-64.
  • Flexible sigmoidoscopy screening (with or without fecal blood testing) versus no screening.
  • Follow-up via national registries for CRC incidence and mortality data.

Main Results

  • Sigmoidoscopy screening reduced CRC incidence (HR: 0.66) and mortality (HR: 0.63) in men.
  • Screening showed no significant reduction in CRC incidence (HR: 0.92) or mortality (HR: 1.01) in women.
  • Absolute risk reduction for CRC in men was 0.78 percentage points.

Conclusions

  • Flexible sigmoidoscopy screening is effective in reducing colorectal cancer burden in men.
  • Screening demonstrated limited benefit for colorectal cancer prevention in women.
  • Sex-specific differences in screening effectiveness warrant further investigation.

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