Skip to main content
Log in

Should There Be Gender Differences in the Guidelines for Colorectal Cancer Screening?

  • Prevention and Early Detection (N Arber, Section Editor)
  • Published:
Current Colorectal Cancer Reports

Abstract

Colorectal cancer screening guidelines are identical for men and women despite reported differences in epidemiology, endoscopy performance, screening preferences, and screening uptake. High-quality research is needed to determine whether gender aspects may in real world increase acceptance and overcome screening barriers, which may lead to better use of limited resources allocated for public health.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

Papers of particular interest, published recently, have been highlighted as: • Of importance •• Of major importance

  1. Boyle P, Ferlay J. Cancer incidence and mortality in Europe, 2004. Ann Oncol. 2005;16:481–8.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Jemal A, Siegel R, Ward E, et al. Cancer statistics, 2008. CA Cancer J Clin. 2008;58:71–96.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Segnan N, Patnick J, von Karsa L, editors. European Guidelines for quality assurance in colorectal cancer screening and diagnosis. 1st ed. Luxembourg: European Commission, Publications Office of the European Union; 2010.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Brenner H, Hoffmeister M, Arndt V, Haug U. Gender differences in colorectal cancer: implications for age at initiation of screening. Br J Cancer. 2007;96:828–31.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Regula J, Rupinski M, Kraszewska E, et al. Colonoscopy in colorectal-cancer screening for detection of advanced neoplasia. N Engl J Med. 2006;355:1863–72.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. •• Ferlitsch M, Reinhart K, Pramhas S et al. Sex-specific prevalence of adenomas, advanced adenomas, and colorectal cancer in individuals undergoing screening colonoscopy. JAMA. 2011;306(12):1352–8. This recently published study shows a difference of about 10 years in prevalence of advanced adenomas between men and women.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. • Nguyen SP, Bent S, Chen Y-H, Terdiman JP. Gender as a risk factor for advanced neoplasia and colorectal cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2009;7:676–81. This meta-analysis confirms that risk for advanced neoplasia is higher in men.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Hoffmeister M, Schmitz S, Karmrodt E, et al. Male sex and smoking have a larger impact on the prevalence of colorectal neoplasm than family history of colorectal cancer. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2010;8(10):870–6.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Denis B, Reutsch M, Strentz P, et al. Short term outcomes of the first round of a pilot colorectal cancer screening programme with guaiac based faecal occult blood test. Gut. 2007;56:1579–84.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. •• Lansdorp-Vogelaar I, van Ballegooijen M, Zauber AG, et al. Individualizing colonoscopy screening by sex and race. Gastrointest Endosc. 2009;70:96–108. In this study, a micro-simulation model was used to estimate cost-effectiveness of individualizing colonoscopy screening by gender and race.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. McCashland TM, Brand R, Lyden E, de Garmo Pat, AP CORI Research Project. Gender differences in colorectal polyps and tumors. Am J Gastroenterol. 2001;96:882–6.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Schoenfeld P, Cash B, Flood A, et al. Colonoscopic screening of average-risk women for colorectal neoplasia. N Engl J Med. 2005;352:2061–8.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Imperiale TF, Wagner DR, Lin CY, et al. Risk of advanced proximal neoplasms in asymptomatic adults according to the distal colorectal findings. N E J Med. 2000;343:169–74.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Rex DK, Cummings OW, Helper DJ, et al. 5-year incidence of adenomas after negative colonoscopy in asymptomatic average-risk persons. Gastroenterology. 1996;111:1178–81.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Brenner H, Haug U, Arndt V, et al. Low risk of colorectal cancer and advanced adenomas more than 10 years after negative colonoscopy. Gastroenterology. 2010;138:870–6.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Stewart BT, Keck JO, Duncan AV, et al. Difficult or incomplete flexible sigmoidoscopy: implications for a screening programme. Aust N Z J Surg. 1999;69:19–21.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Eloubeidi MA, Wallace MB, Desmond R, et al. Female gender and other factors predictive of a limited screening flexible sigmoidoscopy examination for colorectal cancer. Am J Gastroenterol. 2003;98:1634–9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Adams C, Cardwell C, Cook C, et al. Effect of hysterectomy status on polyp detection rates at screening flexible sigmoidoscopy. Gastrointest Endosc. 2003;57:848–53.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Saunders BP, Fukumoto M, Halligan S, et al. Why is colonoscopy more difficult in women? Gastrointest Endosc. 1996;43:124–6.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Aslinia F, Uradomo L, Steele A, et al. Quality assessment of colonoscopic cecal intubation: an analysis of 6 years of continuous practice at a university hospital. Am J Gastroenterol. 2006;101:721–31.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Hoff G, Bretthauer M, Huppertz-Hauss G, et al. The Norwegian Gastronet project: continuous quality improvement of colonoscopy in 14 Norwegian centres. Scand J Gastroenterol. 2006;41:481–7.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Thiis-Evensen E, Hoff GS, Sauar J, et al. Patient tolerance of colonoscopy without sedation during screening examination for colorectal polyps. Gastrointest Endosc. 2000;52:606–10.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Kim WH, Cho YJ, Park JY, et al. Factors affecting insertion time and patient discomfort during colonoscopy. Gastrointest Endosc. 2000;52:600–5.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Early DS, Saifuddin T, Johnson JC, et al. Patient attitudes toward undergoing colonoscopy without sedation. Am J Gastroenterol. 1999;94:1862–5.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Ko CW, Riffle S, Shapiro JA, et al. Incidence of minor complications and time lost from normal activities after screening or surveillance colonoscopy. Gastrointest Endosc. 2007;65:648–56.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. McQueen A, Vernon SW, Meissner HI, et al. Are there gender differences in colorectal cancer test use prevalence and correlates? Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2006;15:782–91.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Stockwell DH, Woo P, Jacobson BC, et al. Determinants of colorectal cancer screening in women undergoing mammography. Am J Gastroenterol. 2003;98:1875–80.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Farraye FA, Wong M, Hurwitz S, et al. Barriers to endoscopic colorectal cancer screening: are women different from men? Am J Gastroenterol. 2004;99:341–9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Menees SB, Inadomi JM, Korsnes S, Elta GH. Women patients’ preference for women physicians is a barrier to colon cancer screening. Gastrointest Endosc. 2005;62:219–23.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Fidler H, Hartnett A, Cheng Man K, et al. Sex and familiarity of colonoscopists: patient preferences. Endoscopy. 2000;32:481–2.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Disclosure

No potential conflicts of interest relevant to this article were reported.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jaroslaw Regula.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Regula, J., Chaber, A. & Kaminski, M.F. Should There Be Gender Differences in the Guidelines for Colorectal Cancer Screening?. Curr Colorectal Cancer Rep 8, 32–35 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11888-011-0113-2

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11888-011-0113-2

Keywords

Navigation