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Study Suggests Physicians Conduct
Unnecessary Surveillance Colonoscopies
Physicians appear to be performing surveillance colonoscopies at frequencies
higher than those recommended by evidence-based medical guidelines, according
to the results of a recent national survey published in the August 17 Annals of
Internal Medicine. Dr. Pauline Mysliwiec, of the University of
California, Davis School of Medicine, and colleagues sought to learn whether
physicians followed recommended guidelines for surveillance colonoscopies, and
what factors most influence a physician's decisions. The study warns that as
the demand for colonoscopies in the United States increases, overperformance
could tax limited physician resources and cause unnecessary risk to
patients.The National Cancer Institute (NCI)-funded survey of
gastroenterologists and general surgeons about their opinions and practices
regarding the use of surveillance colonoscopy in various clinical scenarios
sought to find out how often physicians would recommend a colonoscopy and/or
other procedures following an initial discovery of a colorectal abnormality in
a healthy and asymptomatic 50-year-old patient. Read
more 
Patient Navigator Program
Reduces Cancer Health Disparities
A major gap exists in the cancer discovery-development-delivery continuum for
many Americans. Discovery and development research typically results in
beneficial procedures for cancer prevention, early detection, diagnosis, and
treatment that are intended for all Americans. Health disparities arise when
the delivery system does not provide access to timely, standard cancer care to
everyone who needs it. This is particularly evident among racial/ethnic
minorities, people of low socioeconomic status, residents of rural areas, and
members of other underserved populations.
NCI is working to close this gap between development and delivery among
underserved populations. A central issue is that patients face a variety of
barriers to standard cancer prevention information, screening, diagnosis,
treatment, and follow-up care that inhibit timely access to health services.
These barriers include fragmentation of health care services; lack of health
insurance or underinsurance; provider- and patient-related education barriers;
communication barriers, particularly for patients whose first language is not
English; inadequate transportation to medical appointments; and missed
appointments due to travel, child care, or employment barriers. Read
more
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This NCI Cancer Bulletin is produced by the National Cancer Institute (NCI).
NCI, which was established in 1937, leads a national effort to eliminate the
suffering and death due to cancer. Through basic and clinical biomedical
research and training, NCI conducts and supports research that will lead to a
future in which we can prevent cancer before it starts, identify cancers that
do develop at the earliest stage, eliminate cancers through innovative
treatment interventions, and biologically control those cancers that we cannot
eliminate so they become manageable, chronic diseases.
For more information on cancer, call 1-800-4-CANCER or visit
http://www.cancer.gov.
NCI Cancer Bulletin staff can be reached at
ncicancerbulletin@mail.nih.gov.
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