[Lung cancer screening is not the right answer, a ban on smoking is].

The Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport of the Netherlands has asked the Dutch Health Council an advice on lung cancer screening. But even the target group will gain little: yearly approximately 90 fewer lung cancer deaths of over 8,000 due to smoking, and most if not all of them will die as quickly from other consequences of smoking. Moreover, lung cancer screening harms the population screened, as well as our society and health care providers.

Prospective cross-sectional study on faecal immunochemical tests: sex specific cut-off values to obtain equal sensitivity for colorectal cancer?

Background: Faecal immunochemical tests (FITs) are commonly used in colorectal cancer (CRC) screening. Diagnostic accuracy of FIT differs between males and females. This so far unexplained difference could result in a dissimilarity in screening outcome between both sexes.

Antidepressants and gastrointestinal symptoms in the general Dutch adult population.

Background: Gastrointestinal symptoms are frequently reported adverse effects of antidepressants, but antidepressants are also a treatment modality in functional gastrointestinal disorders. We aimed to assess the association between antidepressant use and gastrointestinal symptoms in the general adult population.

Methods: We assessed gastrointestinal symptoms, medication use, and comorbidity through structured questionnaires in randomly selected individuals.

Similar fecal immunochemical test results in screening and referral colorectal cancer.

Aim: To improve the interpretation of fecal immunochemical test (FIT) results in colorectal cancer (CRC) cases from screening and referral cohorts.

Methods: In this comparative observational study, two prospective cohorts of CRC cases were compared. The first cohort was obtained from 10 322 average risk subjects invited for CRC screening with FIT, of which, only subjects with a positive FIT were referred for colonoscopy.

Hemorrhoids detected at colonoscopy: an infrequent cause of false-positive fecal immunochemical test results.

Background: Colorectal cancer screening by fecal immunochemical tests (FITs) is hampered by frequent false-positive (FP) results and thereby the risk of complications and strain on colonoscopy capacity. Hemorrhoids might be a plausible cause of FP results.

Objective: To determine the contribution of hemorrhoids to the frequency of FP FIT results.

Use of faecal markers in screening for colorectal neoplasia: a European group on tumor markers position paper.

Several randomized controlled trials have shown that population-based screening using faecal occult blood testing (FOBT) can reduce mortality from colorectal neoplasia. Based on this evidence, a number of countries have introduced screening for colorectal cancer (CRC) and high-risk adenoma and many others are considering its introduction. The aim of this article is to critically review the current status of faecal markers as population-based screening tests for these neoplasia.

Exposure to colorectal examinations before a colorectal cancer diagnosis: a case-control study.

Objectives: To assess the prior exposure to colorectal examinations between colorectal cancer (CRC) patients and matched control participants to estimate the effect of these examinations on the development of CRC and to obtain insight into the background incidence of colorectal examinations.

Methods: A population-based case-control study was conducted within the Dutch Integrated Primary Care Information database over the period 1996-2005. All incident CRC cases were matched with up to 18 controls (n=7,790) for age, sex, index date (date of CRC diagnosis) and follow-up before diagnosis.

[Colorectal cancer screening: immunological test for faecal occult blood preferred].

In 2003, the European Commission advised the Member States to start colorectal cancer screening. More than 12 million Europeans have been tested to date, not only by means of faecal occult blood testing but often also by opportunistic endoscopy. Nearly all of the screening programmes concerned were opportunistic in nature.

Proton pump inhibitors and the risk of colorectal cancer.

Introduction: Proton pump inhibitor (PPI) use is associated with increased serum gastrin levels and bacterial overgrowth, resulting in more toxic bile salt formation. Concern has risen that these factors may increase the risk of developing colorectal neoplasia.

Aim: To investigate the association between the use of PPIs and the risk of colorectal cancer.

Open-access upper gastrointestinal endoscopy a decade after the introduction of proton pump inhibitors and helicobacter pylori eradication: a shift in endoscopic findings.

Background/aim: Over the past 15 years, there were considerable changes in factors associated with the development and treatment of upper gastrointestinal symptoms, of which the introduction of proton pump inhibitors and Helicobacter pylori eradication in guidelines for treatment of patients with dyspepsia are the most prominent: findings at open-access upper gastrointestinal endoscopy have not been evaluated properly ever since. This study aims to compare the current prevalence of upper gastrointestinal endoscopic findings to the prevalence 15 years ago.

Methods: Data about endoscopic findings of consecutive patients for the first time referred for open-access upper gastrointestinal endoscopy between January 2002 and December 2004 was collected from medical files.

High abstinence rates in heroin addicts by a new comprehensive treatment approach.

In this multi-center, naturalistic study, the effectiveness of naltrexone maintenance combined with the Community Reinforcement Approach (CRA) was investigated in detoxified, opioid-dependent patients (N=272). Patients were recruited from methadone maintenance programs. With intention-to-treat analysis, 10 months of treatment yielded abstinence rates of 28% and 32% at 10 and 16 months after detoxification.

Alexithymia is associated with gastrointestinal symptoms, but does not predict endoscopy outcome in patients with gastrointestinal symptoms.

Background: Alexithymia, where a person has difficulty in distinguishing between emotions and bodily sensations, is considered to be a character trait and a vulnerability factor for various psychosomatic disorders. Assessing alexithymia in patients with gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms before endoscopy might therefore be useful in selecting patients who are more prone to functional GI disorders.

Goal: To determine whether alexithymia might be a useful factor in predicting GI endoscopy outcomes.

Simple decompression or anterior subcutaneous transposition for ulnar neuropathy at the elbow: a cost-minimization analysis--Part 2.

Objective: A randomized controlled trial was reported recently, in which simple decompression and anterior subcutaneous transposition were compared for treatment of ulnaropathy at the elbow. Clinically, both surgical options seem to be equally effective. The objective of this study is to compare the costs, from a societal standpoint, of simple decompression versus anterior subcutaneous transposition in Euros.

Prospective randomized controlled study comparing simple decompression versus anterior subcutaneous transposition for idiopathic neuropathy of the ulnar nerve at the elbow: Part 1.

Objective: The main objective of this study was to compare the clinical outcome of participants treated by simple decompression (SD) of the ulnar nerve versus anterior subcutaneous transposition (AST).

Methods: A prospective randomized controlled study was performed. Three hundred forty participants were referred to our institution between March 1999 and July 2002.