Screening: management after incomplete colonoscopy could be improved

In 2014 in the Netherlands a national screening programme for bowel cancer was started in which a colonoscopy is performed after a positive immunochemical faecal occult blood test. If colonoscopy is incomplete a CT colonography (CTC) is offered in order to visualize the remaining colon. Balloon endo...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inNederlands tijdschrift voor geneeskunde Vol. 158; p. A7195
Main Authors Becx, Marco C J M, Al-Toma, Abdul
Format Journal Article
LanguageDutch
Published Netherlands 2014
Subjects
Colonography, Computed Tomographic - economics
Colonography, Computed Tomographic - methods
Colonoscopy - economics
Colonoscopy - methods
Colorectal Neoplasms - diagnosis
Colorectal Neoplasms - diagnostic imaging
Colorectal Neoplasms - economics
Humans
Mass Screening - economics
Mass Screening - methods
Middle Aged
Netherlands
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Summary:In 2014 in the Netherlands a national screening programme for bowel cancer was started in which a colonoscopy is performed after a positive immunochemical faecal occult blood test. If colonoscopy is incomplete a CT colonography (CTC) is offered in order to visualize the remaining colon. Balloon endoscopy (BE), double- or single-balloon, is an effective and safe endoscopic alternative which has advantages over CTC, including the option of endoscopic polypectomy and histological examination. However, its cost and the need for an additional procedure on a different day are disadvantageous. BE deserves a place in the national screening programme for bowel cancer after an incomplete colonoscopy, as a possible alternative for CTC and certainly after finding polyps on CTC. Because expertise in BE and its availability are limited, in each screening region some centres should be appointed as designated referral centres to perform BE.
ISSN:0028-2162
1876-8784