In Other Journals

UK study authors say that all patients aged 45 years or older with new onset rectal bleeding should be offered bowel investigation, whether or not they have other symptoms. du Toit and colleagues conducted a 10-year study in a rural UK general practice; 265 patients aged 45 or older reported new rectal bleeding and were all investigated (via rigid sigmoidoscopy with barium enema, flexible sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy) — 15 had colorectal cancer and 13 had colonic adenoma. That is, about one in 10 had colorectal neoplasia, however, only two of the patients with cancer had had diarrhoea.