Prioritisation of colonoscopy services in colorectal cancer screening programmes to minimise impact of COVID-19 pandemic on predicted cancer burden: A comparative modelling study.
J Med Screen 2021;
29:72-83. [PMID:
35100894 PMCID:
PMC9087314 DOI:
10.1177/09691413211056777]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Objectives
Colorectal cancer (CRC) screening with a faecal immunochemical test (FIT) has
been disrupted in many countries during the COVID-19 pandemic. Performing
catch-up of missed screens while maintaining regular screening services
requires additional colonoscopy capacity that may not be available. This
study aimed to compare strategies that clear the screening backlog using
limited colonoscopy resources.
Methods
A range of strategies were simulated using four country-specific CRC
natural-history models: Adenoma and Serrated pathway to Colorectal CAncer
(ASCCA) and MIcrosimulation SCreening ANalysis for CRC (MISCAN-Colon) (both
in the Netherlands), Policy1-Bowel (Australia) and OncoSim (Canada).
Strategies assumed a 3-month screening disruption with varying recovery
period lengths (6, 12, and 24 months) and varying FIT thresholds for
diagnostic colonoscopy. Increasing the FIT threshold reduces the number of
referrals to diagnostic colonoscopy. Outcomes for each strategy were
colonoscopy demand and excess CRC-related deaths due to the disruption.
Results
Performing catch-up using the regular FIT threshold in 6, 12 and 24 months
could prevent most excess CRC-related deaths, but required 50%, 25% and
12.5% additional colonoscopy demand, respectively. Without exceeding usual
colonoscopy demand, up to 60% of excess CRC-related deaths can be prevented
by increasing the FIT threshold for 12 or 24 months. Large increases in FIT
threshold could lead to additional deaths rather than preventing them.
Conclusions
Clearing the screening backlog in 24 months could avert most excess
CRC-related deaths due to a 3-month disruption but would require a small
increase in colonoscopy demand. Increasing the FIT threshold slightly over
24 months could ease the pressure on colonoscopy resources.
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