Colonoscopy is now the most frequently ordered test for colorectal cancer (CRC), and most primary-care physicians (PCPs) do not recommend the full range of test options prescribed in national guidelines, a new study reports.
Out of six CRC screening methods, PCPs most frequently recommend colonoscopy (95% of the time) for asymptomatic, average-risk patients, Carrie N. Klabunde, PhD, and colleagues found after analyzing 2006-2007 national survey results from 1,266 PCPs.
After colonoscopy, the most frequently ordered tests include fecal occult blood testing (FOBT) (80%); sigmoidoscopy (26%); double-contrast barium enema (DCBE) (9%); CT colonography (5%); and fecal DNA testing (5%), the researchers reported in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
These results are a sharp contrast with the 1999-2000 national survey, which revealed FOBT as the most frequently used test (95%), followed by sigmoidoscopy (78%); colonoscopy (38%); and DCBE (14%). PCP procedures and recommendations have changed significantly in the past years and should continue to be monitored, the researchers concluded.
Click here to read the study.