Improved 5-year survival of patients with immunochemical faecal blood test-screen-detected colorectal cancer versus non-screening cancers in northern Italy.

Background: Colorectal cancer screening may reduce disease-related mortality by early-stage detection of cancers.

Aims: To study the effect of a single immunochemical faecal occult blood test (i-FOBt) screening round on reduction in colorectal cancer-related-mortality among average risk subjects.

Methods: Comparison of 5-year mortality rates in 3 cohorts from a Northern Italian province: (1) colorectal cancers detected at the 1st biennial round of a mass-screening programme targeting 50-69 years old subjects, (2) non-screening cancers symptomatically diagnosed during the same time period, and (3) cancers detected in the pre-screening biennium.

Time to relief of episodic symptoms of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease. A crossover comparison of single doses of the effervescent and standard formulations of ranitidine.

Background: The length of time until symptom relief and the consistency of response are important aspects of the management of episodes of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD).

Methods: In an open, randomized, crossover study 98 patients treated 3 episodes of GORD with ranitidine effervescent formulation and 3 with ranitidine standard formulation. The patients filled in a diary card during the 1st h after each study medication.