Colonoscopy Offers Strong Protection Against CRC

Population study finds it effectively reduces risk for both right- and left-sided colorectal cancers

TUESDAY, Jan. 4 (HealthDay News) -- Colonoscopy may be associated with a strongly reduced risk for colorectal cancer (CRC), with risk reduction observed for both left-sided and right-sided CRC, according to research published in the Jan. 4 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Hermann Brenner, M.D., M.P.H., of the University of Heidelberg in Germany, and colleagues collected data on 1,688 patients with CRC and 1,932 controls (aged 50 and older) to assess the association between prior colonoscopy and risk for CRC.

The researchers found that colonoscopy within the last 10 years was related to a 77 percent reduction in CRC risk. The adjusted odds ratios for right-sided and left-sided CRC were 0.44 and 0.16, respectively. The reduction in risk was strong for all ages and cancer stages aside from right-sided cancers in people 50 to 59 years of age. Risk reduction in both sides of the colon increased over the years.

"Despite its limitations, our study adds to the increasing evidence that colonoscopy, with removal of colorectal adenomas, may substantially reduce CRC incidence," the authors write. "Our results further suggest that major reduction may also be achieved for right-sided CRC, even in the community setting, when widespread offer of colonoscopy is paired with major efforts in terms of training and quality assurance."

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