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Brenner H, Hoffmeister M. Making the best use of quantitative fecal immunochemical test results in colorectal cancer screening. J Intern Med 2024; 296:118-120. [PMID: 38894589 DOI: 10.1111/joim.13812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Hermann Brenner
- Division of Clinical Epidemiology and Aging Research, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Michael Hoffmeister
- Division of Clinical Epidemiology and Aging Research, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
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2
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Brenner H, Heisser T, Cardoso R, Hoffmeister M. Reduction in colorectal cancer incidence by screening endoscopy. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 2024; 21:125-133. [PMID: 37794234 DOI: 10.1038/s41575-023-00847-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023]
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence rates decreased by up to 50% in older age groups in the USA in the era of the widespread uptake of screening colonoscopy, despite adverse trends in CRC risk factors and increasing CRC incidence at younger ages. However, reported first results from a randomized trial, the NordICC study, suggested rather modest effects of screening colonoscopy. As outlined in this Perspective, the apparent discrepancy between real-world and trial evidence could be explained by strong attenuation of effect estimates from screening endoscopy trials by several factors, including limited screening adherence, widespread uptake of colonoscopy outside the screening offers and the inclusion of prevalent, non-preventable CRC cases in reported numbers of incident cases. Alternative interpretations of screening endoscopy trial results accounting for prevalence bias are in line with trends in CRC incidence reduction in countries offering CRC screening, and should encourage more widespread implementation and uptake of effective CRC screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hermann Brenner
- Division of Clinical Epidemiology and Aging Research, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.
- Division of Preventive Oncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and National Center for Tumour Diseases (NCT), Heidelberg, Germany.
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Thomas Heisser
- Division of Clinical Epidemiology and Aging Research, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Rafael Cardoso
- Division of Clinical Epidemiology and Aging Research, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Michael Hoffmeister
- Division of Clinical Epidemiology and Aging Research, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
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Brenner H, Heisser T, Cardoso R, Hoffmeister M. Which results would the NordICC trial have found if screening colonoscopy had prevented all incident colorectal cancers? Gastrointest Endosc 2023; 98:878-879. [PMID: 37863580 DOI: 10.1016/j.gie.2023.06.059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2023] [Revised: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/22/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Hermann Brenner
- Division of Clinical Epidemiology and Aging Research, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany; Division of Preventive Oncology, German Cancer Research Center and National Center for Tumour Diseases, Heidelberg, Germany; German Cancer Consortium, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Thomas Heisser
- Division of Clinical Epidemiology and Aging Research, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Rafael Cardoso
- Division of Clinical Epidemiology and Aging Research, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Michael Hoffmeister
- Division of Clinical Epidemiology and Aging Research, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
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Klimeck L, Heisser T, Hoffmeister M, Brenner H. Colorectal cancer: A health and economic problem. Best Pract Res Clin Gastroenterol 2023; 66:101839. [PMID: 37852707 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpg.2023.101839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
Colorectal Cancer (CRC) is the third most commonly diagnosed form of cancer and accounts for approximately 1.9 million cancer cases each year (10% of all new cancer cases globally). Incidence strongly increases with age and has been traditionally highest in Western, affluent countries, but it is rapidly increasing in many less developed countries and in younger generations in both developed and developing countries. With demographic aging, CRC will pose a rapidly increasing challenge for many societies, which underlines the need for major efforts on primary and secondary prevention. A number of effective screening options are available, and implementation of well-organized screening programs could have a major impact on lowering the future burden of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leon Klimeck
- Division of Clinical Epidemiology and Aging Research, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Thomas Heisser
- Division of Clinical Epidemiology and Aging Research, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Michael Hoffmeister
- Division of Clinical Epidemiology and Aging Research, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Hermann Brenner
- Division of Clinical Epidemiology and Aging Research, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany; Division of Preventive Oncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Heidelberg, Germany; German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.
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Pokharel R, Lin YS, McFerran E, O'Mahony JF. A Systematic Review of Cost-Effectiveness Analyses of Colorectal Cancer Screening in Europe: Have Studies Included Optimal Screening Intensities? APPLIED HEALTH ECONOMICS AND HEALTH POLICY 2023; 21:701-717. [PMID: 37380865 PMCID: PMC10403417 DOI: 10.1007/s40258-023-00819-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To assess the range of strategies analysed in European cost-effectiveness analyses (CEAs) of colorectal cancer (CRC) screening with respect to the screening intervals, age ranges and test cut-offs used to define positivity, to examine how this might influence what strategies are found to be optimal, and compare them with the current screening policies with a focus on the screening interval. METHODS We searched PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus for peer-reviewed, model-based CEAs of CRC screening. We included studies on average-risk European populations using the guaiac faecal occult blood test (gFOBT) or faecal immunochemical test (FIT). We adapted Drummond's ten-point checklist to appraise study quality. RESULTS We included 39 studies that met the inclusion criteria. Biennial screening was the most frequently used interval which was analysed in 37 studies. Annual screening was assessed in 13 studies, all of which found it optimally cost-effective. Despite this, 25 of 26 European stool-based programmes use biennial screening. Many CEAs did not vary the age range, but the 14 that did generally found broader ranges optimal. Only 11 studies considered alternative FIT cut-offs, 9 of which found lower cut-offs superior. Conflicts between current policy and CEA evidence are less clear regarding age ranges and cut-offs. CONCLUSIONS The existing CEA evidence indicates that the widely adopted biennial frequency of stool-based testing in Europe is suboptimal. It is likely that many more lives could be saved throughout Europe if programmes could be offered with more intensive annual screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajani Pokharel
- Centre for Health Policy and Management, School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
| | - Yi-Shu Lin
- Centre for Health Policy and Management, School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Ethna McFerran
- Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research, School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland
| | - James F O'Mahony
- Centre for Health Policy and Management, School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
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Zheng S, Schrijvers JJA, Greuter MJW, Kats-Ugurlu G, Lu W, de Bock GH. Effectiveness of Colorectal Cancer (CRC) Screening on All-Cause and CRC-Specific Mortality Reduction: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15071948. [PMID: 37046609 PMCID: PMC10093633 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15071948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023] Open
Abstract
(1) Background: The aim of this study was to pool and compare all-cause and colorectal cancer (CRC) specific mortality reduction of CRC screening in randomized control trials (RCTs) and simulation models, and to determine factors that influence screening effectiveness. (2) Methods: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and Cochrane library were searched for eligible studies. Multi-use simulation models or RCTs that compared the mortality of CRC screening with no screening in general population were included. CRC-specific and all-cause mortality rate ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated by a bivariate random model. (3) Results: 10 RCTs and 47 model studies were retrieved. The pooled CRC-specific mortality rate ratios in RCTs were 0.88 (0.80, 0.96) and 0.76 (0.68, 0.84) for guaiac-based fecal occult blood tests (gFOBT) and single flexible sigmoidoscopy (FS) screening, respectively. For the model studies, the rate ratios were 0.45 (0.39, 0.51) for biennial fecal immunochemical tests (FIT), 0.31 (0.28, 0.34) for biennial gFOBT, 0.61 (0.53, 0.72) for single FS, 0.27 (0.21, 0.35) for 10-yearly colonoscopy, and 0.35 (0.29, 0.42) for 5-yearly FS. The CRC-specific mortality reduction of gFOBT increased with higher adherence in both studies (RCT: 0.78 (0.68, 0.89) vs. 0.92 (0.87, 0.98), model: 0.30 (0.28, 0.33) vs. 0.92 (0.51, 1.63)). Model studies showed a 0.62-1.1% all-cause mortality reduction with single FS screening. (4) Conclusions: Based on RCTs and model studies, biennial FIT/gFOBT, single and 5-yearly FS, and 10-yearly colonoscopy screening significantly reduces CRC-specific mortality. The model estimates are much higher than in RCTs, because the simulated biennial gFOBT assumes higher adherence. The effectiveness of screening increases at younger screening initiation ages and higher adherences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Senshuang Zheng
- Medical Center Groningen, Department of Epidemiology, University of Groningen, 9700 RB Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jelle J A Schrijvers
- Medical Center Groningen, Department of Epidemiology, University of Groningen, 9700 RB Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Marcel J W Greuter
- Medical Center Groningen, Department of Radiology, University of Groningen, 9700 RB Groningen, The Netherlands
- Robotics and Mechatronics (RaM) Group, Technical Medical Centre, Faculty of Electrical Engineering Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Twente, 7522 NH Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Gürsah Kats-Ugurlu
- Medical Center Groningen, Department of Pathology, University of Groningen, 9700 RB Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Wenli Lu
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, China
| | - Geertruida H de Bock
- Medical Center Groningen, Department of Epidemiology, University of Groningen, 9700 RB Groningen, The Netherlands
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Heisser T, Cardoso R, Niedermaier T, Hoffmeister M, Brenner H. Making colonoscopy-based screening more efficient: A "gateopener" approach. Int J Cancer 2023; 152:952-961. [PMID: 36214791 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.34317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Screening colonoscopy for early detection and prevention of colorectal cancer (CRC) is mostly used inefficiently. Here, we assessed the potential of an innovative approach to colonoscopy-based screening, by use of a single, low threshold fecal immunochemical test (FIT) as a "gateopener" for screening colonoscopy. Using COSIMO, a validated simulation model, we modeled scenarios including either direct invitation to screening colonoscopy or an alternative approach involving mailing a single ("gateopener") FIT along with an invitation to colonoscopy contingent on a FIT value above a low threshold yielding a 50% positivity rate (ie, every other pretest will be positive). Under plausible assumptions on screening offer adherence, we found that such "gateopener screening" (use of screening colonoscopy contingent on a positive, low threshold gateopener FIT) approximately doubled cancer detection rates vs conventional screening. In those spared from screening colonoscopy due to a negative gateopener FIT pretest, numbers needed to screen were 10-times higher vs those for individuals with a positive FIT, peaking in >2000 and >3800 (hypothetically) needed colonoscopies to detect one case of cancer in men and women, respectively. Gateopener screening resulted in 42%-51% and 59%-65% more prevented CRC cases and deaths, respectively. In summary, by directing colonoscopy capacities to those most likely to benefit, offering screening colonoscopy contingent on a "gateopener" low-threshold FIT would substantially enhance efficiency of colonoscopy screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Heisser
- Division of Clinical Epidemiology and Aging Research, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.,Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Rafael Cardoso
- Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.,Division of Preventive Oncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Tobias Niedermaier
- Division of Clinical Epidemiology and Aging Research, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Michael Hoffmeister
- Division of Clinical Epidemiology and Aging Research, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Hermann Brenner
- Division of Clinical Epidemiology and Aging Research, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.,Division of Preventive Oncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Heidelberg, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
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Impact of demographic changes and screening colonoscopy on long-term projection of incident colorectal cancer cases in Germany: A modelling study. Lancet Reg Health Eur 2022; 20:100451. [PMID: 35799615 PMCID: PMC9253902 DOI: 10.1016/j.lanepe.2022.100451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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Treatment Costs of Colorectal Cancer by Sex and Age: Population-Based Study on Health Insurance Data from Germany. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14153836. [PMID: 35954499 PMCID: PMC9367511 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14153836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2022] [Revised: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective: Evidence on the cost-effectiveness of screening for colorectal cancer (CRC) in the German general population remains scarce as key input parameters, the costs to treat CRC, are largely unknown. Here, we provide detailed estimates on CRC treatment costs over time. Methods: Using insurance claims data from the Vilua healthcare research database, we included subjects with newly diagnosed CRC and subjects who died of CRC between 2012 and 2016. We assessed annualized CRC-related inpatient, outpatient and medication costs for up to five years after first diagnosis and prior to death, stratified by sex and age. Findings: We identified 1748 and 1117 subjects with follow-up data for at least 1 year after diagnosis and prior to death, respectively. In those newly diagnosed, average costs were highest in the first year after diagnosis (men, EUR 16,375−16,450; women, EUR 10,071−13,250) and dropped steeply in the following years, with no consistent pattern of differences with respect to age. Costs prior to death were substantially higher as compared to the initial phase of care and consistently on a high level even several years before death, peaking in the final year of life, with strong differences by sex and age (men vs. women, <70 years, EUR 34,351 vs. EUR 31,417; ≥70 years, EUR 14,463 vs. EUR 9930). Conclusion: Once clinically manifest, CRC causes substantial treatment costs over time, particularly in the palliative care setting. Strong differences in treatment costs by sex and age warrant further investigation.
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