Influence of provider discussion and specific recommendation on colorectal cancer screening uptake among U.S. adults.

Objectives: It is unclear if provider recommendations regarding colorectal cancer (CRC) screening modalities affect patient compliance. We evaluated provider-patient communications about CRC screening with and without a specific screening modality recommendation on patient compliance with screening guidelines.

Methods: We used the 2007 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) and identified 4283 respondents who were at least 50 years of age and answered questions about their communication with their care providers and CRC screening uptake.

Concerns and challenges in flexible sigmoidoscopy screening.

In 1992, two well-conducted case-control studies used data from two different health maintenance organizations and demonstrated a 59-79% reduction in mortality from colorectal cancer (CRC) following exposure to sigmoidoscopy. These studies highlight the possibility of reducing mortality from CRC using population-based endoscopic screening. The development of fiber optics improved the technology, and the ease of performing flexible sigmoidoscopy (FS) with widespread adoption of this screening modality.