The Usefulness of Colonoscopy as a Colon Cancer Screening Test for Asymptomatic Adults
Hyun-Ho Cho, M.D., Seok Young Lee, M.D., Jeong Kwon Huh, M.D., Jung Hoon Kim, M.D.,Hee Hwan Lim, M.D., Hee Sun No, M.D., Jang Hyun Cho, M.D., Sung In Cho, M.D., Duck Ryung Kim, M.D., Su Cheol Park, M.D., Jin Kim, M.D., Chul Ju Han, M.D. and You Cheoul Kim
Department of Internal Medicine, Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences, Seoul, Korea
Abstract
Background/Aims: This study evaluated the prevalence and location of colonic adenomatous polyps in asymptomatic adults. Methods: A total of 2,849 asymptomatic adults underwent colonscopic screening as a part of health evaluation from January 2003 to September 2005. Completed questionnaires as well as the colonoscopic and pathologic findings were analyzed. Results: There were 406 (14.3%) subjects with adenomatous polyps including 78 (2.7%) with advanced polyps. There was a trend toward an increased prevalence of adenomatous polyps with age. The relative risk of a proximal polyp according to the distal findings was 5.7 (95% CI 4.3∼7.4) for adenoma, 4.9 (95% CI 3.0∼7.7) for advanced adenoma compared with that for no adenomatous polyp. There were no index polyps at the distal colon in 30% of the 406 subjects. Conclusions: Though distal polyps are associated with the proximal polyps, 30% of asymptomatic adults with proximal polyps are not associated with any distal index polyps. For those without any contraindication to the procedure, colonoscopy performed by experienced colonoscopists as a screening test is feasible for detecting those patients with colorectal polyps.