Colorectal Cancer Screening in Patients with a Positive Fecal Occult Blood Test: Colonoscopy Results

Introduction: Colorectal cancer (CRC) screening by fecal occult blood test (FOBT) followed by colonoscopy has been shown to be a cost-effective strategy to reduce both mortality and long-term incidence of this type of tumor.Our goals have been to determine the effectiveness of colonoscopy as a method of screening for CRC in patients with a positive FOBT in terms of adenoma detection rate (ADR) in our health area as well as to evaluate the safety of colonoscopies, based on the observed complications derived from the endoscopic procedure itself or from the sedation used.Materials and Methods: This was a observational, retrospective, and descriptive study of the colonoscopy findings in patients who have positive FOBT for CRC screening.Results: A total of 281 patients were collected, of whom 150 were men.The data corresponding to the clinical, endoscopic, and histological variables are exposed.Regarding the endoscopic findings, 7 (2.5%) of the examinations were normal; in 203 (35.4%), polyps were observed; in 3 (1.1%),neoformations were found; and in the remaining 68 (24.4%), there were other non-neoplastic findings (angiodysplasias, diverticula, and hemorrhoids).Conclusions: Colonoscopy screening for CRC is an effective technique in terms of detecting early stage adenomas and carcinomas, with an ADR higher than the 40% required.In addition, it is a safe procedure, in terms of complications arising from the test and endoscopic sedation.