Making sense of differing bowel cancer screening guidelines

Bolin, Terry D; Korman, Melvyn G; Cowen, Alistair E

doi:10.5694/j.1326-5377.2009.tb02771.x

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To the Editor: The recent withdrawal of faulty faecal occult blood testing (FOBT) kits by the government highlights the flaws in the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program (NBCSP), with 475 000 kits needing to be replaced. In their recent editorial,1 Ee and Olynyk attempted to persuade us that the NBCSP, which has now temporarily suspended the issuing of new invitations to participate, is both rational and appropriate for an affluent country such as Australia.

1 Gastrointestinal and Liver Clinic, Sydney, NSW.
2 Monash Medical Centre, Melbourne, VIC.
3 Royal Brisbane Hospital, Brisbane, QLD.

Correspondence: kerrie@terrybolin.com

1. Ee HC, Olynyk JK. Making sense of differing bowel cancer screening guidelines [editorial]. Med J Aust 2009; 190: 348-349. <MJA full text>
2. Australian Cancer Network Colorectal Cancer Guidelines Revision Committee. Clinical practice guidelines for the prevention, early detection and management of colorectal cancer. Sydney: The Cancer Council Australia and Australian Cancer Network, 2005. http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/publications/synopses/cp106/_files/cp106.pdf (accessed Feb 2009).
3. Winawer SJ, Zauber AG, Fletcher RH, et al. Guidelines for colonoscopy surveillance after polypectomy: a consensus update by the US Multi-Society Task Force on Colorectal Cancer and the American Cancer Society. Gastroenterology 2006; 130: 1872-1885.
4. Bolin TD, Korman MG, Stanton R, et al. Positive cost effectiveness of early diagnosis of colorectal cancer. Colorectal Dis 1999; 1: 113-122.
5. Bokemeyer B, Bock H, Hüppe D, et al. Screening colonoscopy for colorectal cancer prevention: results from a German online registry on 269 000 cases. Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol 2009; 21: 650-655.

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