Colonoscopy Reduces Colorectal Cancer Mortality

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer and cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Although
the majority of individuals who develop CRC have sporadic disease, up to 20% may have a genetic predisposition.2
Survival is strongly related to the stage of the disease at diagnosis. Randomised controlled trials have shown that
screening programmes using faecal occult blood and endoscopic screening reduce mortality from CRC by early
cancer detection as well as detecting advanced adenomas which are likely to develop into cancers.

Modern Medicine – August 2017