Poster (15W213)

Are Screening-Detected Cancers Different from Symptomatic Cancers?

Author(s)

Dr. M. Walshe, Dr. L. Rooney, Dr. G. Doherty

Department(s)/Institutions

St. Vincent's University Hospital

Introduction

The NCSS began implementing national colorectal cancer screening in 2012. Screening is currently targeted at patients aged 60-69 years. St. Vincent’s University Hospital has been performing screening colonoscopies as part of this initiative since February 2013. Colorectal cancer screening is associated with earlier detection of cancers and reduced mortality. However, reallife data regarding screening outcomes of the NCSS cohort has not yet been well studied.

Aims/Background

To assess whether screening-detected cancers are being diagnosed at an earlier stage that symptomatic cancers. To assess whether right-sided cancers are more prevalent within the screening-detected cancer group.

Method

A prospectively maintained hospital cancer database was used to retrieve information regarding all colorectal cancers diagnosed in patients aged 60-69 years from February 2013 to September 2015. Cancer stage was compared between screeningdetected and symptomatic cancers. We also compared the proportion of right-sided and left-sided cancers between these two groups.

Results

A total of 264 cancers were detected; 50 by NCSS screening, and 214 in symptomatic patients. Breakdown of staging and comparison of staging between the two groups is shown in table 1. Amongst symptomatic patients, 153 had left-sided cancers and 61 had right-sided cancers. Amongst screening-detected cancers, 35 were left-sided and 15 were right sided; p= 0.86.

Conclusions

Cancers detected as part of the NCSS screening programme are diagnosed at an earlier stage than symptomatic cancers in patients of a similar age. Cancer location does not differ between the screening-detected and symptomatic cancers.