title: Surveillance after colorectal polypectomy; comparison between Japan and U.S.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recently, early detection and early treatment of the colorectal cancer have been enabled by the improvement of endoscopic diagnosis and introduction of new techniques. In Japan, although Japan Polyp Study is running, there is no standard strategy concerning the post-polypectomy colonoscopic surveillance yet. Post-polypectomy colonoscopic surveillance is so far entrusted to each institute or each gastroenterologist at present.
  
  
  METHODS
  To analyze the present states of the surveillance after polypectomy in Japan, we performed questionary survey and compared them with the results in U.S. and U.S. Multisociety Task Force on colorectal Cancer. A simple random sample of 132 doctors who engaged in a digestive organ disease in plural institutes was obtained.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Many doctors recommend surveillance every around 1 year regardless of the kind of the polyp. Doctors in Japan tend to recommend postpolypectomy colonoscopic surveillance more frequently than that recommended U.S. Multisociety Task Force on colorectal Cancer. Furthermore in all types of polyps except for 12 mm tubular adenoma with high grade dysplasia, the majority of doctors in Japan recommend post-polypectomy colonoscopic surveillance more frequently than American doctors. Significant difference was found in surveillance of hyperplastic polyp among doctors with 1 to 5 years experience and those with more than 6 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It has been shown that surveillance intervals varies substantially in each doctor. The agreement of the surveillance program in Japan is necessary to standardize the strategy for the post-polypectomy surveillance of the colon.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe University, 7-5-1 Chu-o-ku, Kusunoki-Cho, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0017, Japan. tanakas@med.kobe-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Shinwa
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Daisuke
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Obata
authors.forename: Ryo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chinzei
authors.forename: Shiei
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: Tuyoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sanuki
authors.forename: Yoshinori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Morita
authors.forename: Masaru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: Tsuyoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fujita
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Toyonaga
authors.forename: Hiromu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kutsumi
authors.forename: Hideto
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Inokuchi
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Azuma
mesh_terms: D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D003111:Colonic Polyps / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery; D003113:Colonoscopy / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology