title: Canadian Association of Gastroenterology position statement on screening individuals at average risk for developing colorectal cancer: 2010.
abstract: The Canadian Association of Gastroenterology and the Canadian Digestive Health Foundation published guidelines on colon cancer screening in 2004. Subsequent to the publication of these guidelines, many advances have occurred, thereby necessitating a review of the existing guidelines in the context of new technologies and clinical knowledge. The assembled guideline panel recognized three recent American sets of guidelines and identified seven issues that required comment from a Canadian perspective. These issues included, among others, the role of program-based screening, flexible sigmoidoscopy, computed tomography colonography, barium enema and quality improvement. The panel also provided context for the selection of the fecal immunochemical test as the fecal occult blood test of choice, and the relative role of colonoscopy as a primary screening tool. Recommendations were also provided for an upper age limit for colon cancer screening, whether upper endoscopy should be performed following a negative colonoscopy for a positive fecal occult blood test and when colon cancer screening should resume following negative colonoscopy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia. dleddin@dal.ca
authors.forename: Desmond J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Leddin
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Enns
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hilsden
authors.forename: Victor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Plourde
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rabeneck
authors.forename: Daniel C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Sadowski
authors.forename: Harminder
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Signh
mesh_terms: D002170:Canada; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D032921:Consensus; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer; D005762:Gastroenterology; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000458:organization & administration*; D018579:Patient Selection; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D012307:Risk Factors; D012955:Societies, Medical