Screening endoscopy and risk of colorectal cancer in United States men

Abstract

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to describe the effect of screening endoscopy (sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy) on colorectal cancer incidence and mortality. Methods: We used data from a prospective cohort study of 24,744 men aged 40 to 75 years in 1986, free from cancer and colon polyps, followed until 1994. The outcomes are diagnosis of colorectal cancer and death from colorectal cancer. Results: Screening endoscopy in 1986-87 was associated with a lower risk of all colorectal cancer (multivariate relative risk [RR] = 0.58, 95 percent confidence interval [CI] =0.36-0.96); cancer in the distal colon or rectum (multivariate RR = 0.40, CI = 0.19-0.84); Dukes stage A and B (multivariate..