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Objective: To evaluate the association between repeated faecal occult blood testing and advanced colorectal cancer risk at population level in Canada., Methods: A retrospective cohort study of all Ontario residents aged 56-74 diagnosed with colorectal cancer from 1 April 2007 to 31 March 2010, identified using health administrative data. The primary outcome was stage IV colorectal cancer, and primary exposure was faecal occult blood testing use within five years prior to colorectal cancer diagnosis. Patients were categorized into four mutually exclusive groups based on their exposure to faecal occult blood testing in the five years prior to colorectal cancer diagnosis: none, pre-diagnostic, repeated, and sporadic. Logistic regression was utilized to adjust for confounders., Results: Of 7753 patients (median age 66, interquartile range 61-70, 62% male) identified, 1694 (22%) presented with stage I, 2056 (27%) with stage II, 2428 (31%) with stage III, and 1575 (20%) with stage IV colorectal cancer. There were 4092 (53%) with no record of prior faecal occult blood testing, 1485 (19%) classified as pre-diagnostic, 1693 (22%) as sporadic, and 483 (6%) as repeated faecal occult blood testing. After adjusting for confounders, patients who had repeated faecal occult blood testing were significantly less likely to present with stage IV colorectal cancer at diagnosis (Odds ratio 0.46, 95% Confidence Interval 0.34-0.62) than those with no prior faecal occult blood testing., Conclusions: Repeated faecal occult blood testing is associated with a decreased risk of advanced colorectal cancer. Our findings support the use of organized screening programmes that employ repeated faecal occult blood testing to improve colorectal cancer outcomes at population level.

Though colorectal cancer (CRC) screening rates have increased over time in Ontario, Canada, immigrants continue to have lower rates of screening. This study examines the association between non-adherence to CRC screening and immigration, socio-demographic, healthcare utilization, and primary care physician characteristics among immigrants to Ontario. This is a population-based retrospective cross-sectional study that uses healthcare administrative databases housed at the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences. Our cohort comprised immigrants aged 60 to 74 years who lived in Ontario on March 31, 2015 and who had been eligible for the Ontario Health Insurance Plan for at least 10 years. The outcome was lack of adherence to CRC screening with any modality (fecal occult blood test, flexible sigmoidoscopy, colonoscopy) on March 31, 2015. Our cohort contained 182,949 immigrants. Overall 70,134 (38%) individuals were not adherent to screening. Risk of non-adherence to CRC screening was higher among immigrants who were from low (adjusted relative risk [ARR] 1.35, 95%CI 1.28-1.42) or low-middle (ARR 1.27, 95%CI 1.24-1.30, population-attributable risk [PAR] 9.8%) income countries and refugees (ARR 1.09, 95%CI 1.06-1.11). Compared to those from the United States, Australia, and New Zealand, immigrants from most other world regions, particularly Eastern Europe and Central Asia (ARR 1.28, 95%CI 1.21-1.37), had higher risks of non-adherence. Non-immigration factors such as low healthcare use and lack of primary care enrolment also increased the risk of non-adherence to screening. These findings can be used to inform future efforts to improve uptake of CRC screening among immigrant groups., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: The Building on Existing Tools to Improve Chronic Disease Prevention and Screening (BETTER) cluster randomized trial in primary care settings demonstrated a 30% improvement in adherence to evidence-based Chronic Disease Prevention and Screening (CDPS) activities. CDPS activities included healthy activities, lifestyle modifications, and screening tests. We present a protocol for the adaptation of BETTER to a public health setting, and testing the adaptation in a cluster randomized trial (BETTER HEALTH: Durham) among low income neighbourhoods in Durham Region, Ontario (Canada)., Methods: The BETTER intervention consists of a personalized prevention visit between a participant and a prevention practitioner, which is focused on the participant's eligible CDPS activities, and uses Brief Action Planning, to empower the participant to set achievable short-term goals., Better Health: Durham aims to establish that the BETTER intervention can be adapted and proven effective among 40-64 year old residents of low income areas when provided in the community by public health nurses trained as prevention practitioners. Focus groups and key informant interviews among stakeholders and eligible residents of low income areas will inform the adaptation, along with feedback from the trial's Community Advisory Committee. We have created a sampling frame of 16 clusters composed of census dissemination areas in the lowest urban quintile of median household income, and will sample 10 clusters to be randomly allocated to immediate intervention or six month wait list control. Accounting for the clustered design effect, the trial will have 80% power to detect an absolute 30% difference in the primary outcome, a composite score of completed eligible CDPS actions six months after enrollment. The prevention practitioner will attempt to link participants without a primary care provider (PCP) to a local PCP. The implementation of BETTER HEALTH: Durham will be evaluated by focus groups and key informant interviews., Discussion: The effectiveness of BETTER HEALTH: Durham will be tested for delivery in low income neighbourhoods by a public health department., Trial Registration: NCT03052959, registered February 10, 2017.

Objective: To derive a taxonomy for colorectal cancer screening that advances Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) and screening uptake., Design: Detailed publication review, multiple interviews with principal investigators (PIs) and collaboration with PIs as co-authors produced a CRCS intervention taxonomy. Semi-structured interview questions with PIs (Drs. Inadomi, Myers, Green, Gupta, Jerant and Ritvo) yielded details about trial conduct. Interview comparisons led to an iterative process informing serial interviews until a consensus was obtained on final taxonomy structure., Results: These taxonomy headings (Engagement Sponsor, Population Targeted, Alternative Screening Tests, Delivery Methods, and Support for Test Performance (EPADS)) were used to compare studies. Exemplary insights emphasized: 1) direct test delivery to patients; 2) linguistic-ethnic matching of staff to minority subjects; and 3) authorization of navigators to schedule or refer for colonoscopies and/or distribute stool blood tests during screening promotion., Conclusion: PIs of key RCTs (2012-2015) derived a CRCS taxonomy useful in detailed examination of CRCS promotion and design of future RCTs., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: The National Lung Screening Trial (NLST) results indicate that computed tomography (CT) lung cancer screening for current and former smokers with three annual screens can be cost-effective in a trial setting. However, the cost-effectiveness in a population-based setting with >3 screening rounds is uncertain. Therefore, the objective of this study was to estimate the cost-effectiveness of lung cancer screening in a population-based setting in Ontario, Canada, and evaluate the effects of screening eligibility criteria., Methods and Findings: This study used microsimulation modeling informed by various data sources, including the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP), Ontario Cancer Registry, smoking behavior surveys, and the NLST. Persons, born between 1940 and 1969, were examined from a third-party health care payer perspective across a lifetime horizon. Starting in 2015, 576 CT screening scenarios were examined, varying by age to start and end screening, smoking eligibility criteria, and screening interval. Among the examined outcome measures were lung cancer deaths averted, life-years gained, percentage ever screened, costs (in 2015 Canadian dollars), and overdiagnosis. The results of the base-case analysis indicated that annual screening was more cost-effective than biennial screening. Scenarios with eligibility criteria that required as few as 20 pack-years were dominated by scenarios that required higher numbers of accumulated pack-years. In general, scenarios that applied stringent smoking eligibility criteria (i.e., requiring higher levels of accumulated smoking exposure) were more cost-effective than scenarios with less stringent smoking eligibility criteria, with modest differences in life-years gained. Annual screening between ages 55-75 for persons who smoked ≥40 pack-years and who currently smoke or quit ≤10 y ago yielded an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $41,136 Canadian dollars ($33,825 in May 1, 2015, United States dollars) per life-year gained (compared to annual screening between ages 60-75 for persons who smoked ≥40 pack-years and who currently smoke or quit ≤10 y ago), which was considered optimal at a cost-effectiveness threshold of $50,000 Canadian dollars ($41,114 May 1, 2015, US dollars). If 50% lower or higher attributable costs were assumed, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of this scenario was estimated to be $38,240 ($31,444 May 1, 2015, US dollars) or $48,525 ($39,901 May 1, 2015, US dollars), respectively. If 50% lower or higher costs for CT examinations were assumed, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of this scenario was estimated to be $28,630 ($23,542 May 1, 2015, US dollars) or $73,507 ($60,443 May 1, 2015, US dollars), respectively. This scenario would screen 9.56% (499,261 individuals) of the total population (ever- and never-smokers) at least once, which would require 4,788,523 CT examinations, and reduce lung cancer mortality in the total population by 9.05% (preventing 13,108 lung cancer deaths), while 12.53% of screen-detected cancers would be overdiagnosed (4,282 overdiagnosed cases). Sensitivity analyses indicated that the overall results were most sensitive to variations in CT examination costs. Quality of life was not incorporated in the analyses, and assumptions for follow-up procedures were based on data from the NLST, which may not be generalizable to a population-based setting., Conclusions: Lung cancer screening with stringent smoking eligibility criteria can be cost-effective in a population-based setting., Competing Interests: I have read the journal's policy and the authors of this manuscript have the following competing interests: HJdK, CMvdA, and KtH are members of the the Cancer Intervention and Surveillance Modeling Network (CISNET) Lung working group (grant 1U01CA199284-01 from the National Cancer Institute). HJdK is the principal investigator of the Dutch-Belgian Lung Cancer Screening Trial (Nederlands-Leuvens Longkanker Screenings onderzoek; the NELSON trial). CMvdA and KtH are researchers affiliated with the NELSON trial. HJdK, CMvdA, and KtH received a grant from the University of Zurich to assess the cost-effectiveness of computed tomographic lung cancer screening in Switzerland. HJdK took part in a one-day advisory meeting on biomarkers organized by M.D. Anderson/Health Sciences during the 16th World Conference on Lung Cancer. MCT is a Senior Scientist for Cancer Care Ontario and serves as Scientific Lead on their High Risk Cancer Screening Pilot Study and Program Development in a part-time position. MCT's involvement with Cancer Care Ontario funded his research in this study. HJdK and LFP were both involved in the Cancer Care Ontario Health Technology Assessment Study for CT Lung Cancer Screening in Canada, and LFP received funding for this specific to conduct research presented in this study.

Introduction. The objectives of this systematic review were to evaluate the evidence for different CRC screening tests and to determine the most appropriate ages of initiation and cessation for CRC screening and the most appropriate screening intervals for selected CRC screening tests in people at average risk for CRC. Methods. Electronic databases were searched for studies that addressed the research objectives. Meta-analyses were conducted with clinically homogenous trials. A working group reviewed the evidence to develop conclusions. Results. Thirty RCTs and 29 observational studies were included. Flexible sigmoidoscopy (FS) prevented CRC and led to the largest reduction in CRC mortality with a smaller but significant reduction in CRC mortality with the use of guaiac fecal occult blood tests (gFOBTs). There was insufficient or low quality evidence to support the use of other screening tests, including colonoscopy, as well as changing the ages of initiation and cessation for CRC screening with gFOBTs in Ontario. Either annual or biennial screening using gFOBT reduces CRC-related mortality. Conclusion. The evidentiary base supports the use of FS or FOBT (either annual or biennial) to screen patients at average risk for CRC. This work will guide the development of the provincial CRC screening program.

Background. This work examines the occurrence of interval colorectal cancers (CRCs) in the Ontario ColonCancerCheck (CCC) program. We define interval CRC as CRC diagnosed within 2 years following normal guaiac fecal occult blood testing (gFOBT). Methods. Persons aged 50-74 who completed a baseline CCC gFOBT kit in 2008 and 2009, without a prior history of CRC, or recent colonoscopy, flexible sigmoidoscopy, or gFOBT, were identified. Rates of CRC following positive and normal results at baseline and subsequent gFOBT screens were computed and overall survival was compared between those following positive and normal results. Results. Interval CRC was diagnosed within 24 months following the baseline screen among 0.16% of normals and following the subsequent screen among 0.18% of normals. Interval cancers comprised 38.70% of CRC following the baseline screen and 50.86% following the subsequent screen. Adjusting for age and sex, the hazard ratio (HR) for death following interval cancer compared to CRC following positive result was 1.65 (1.32, 2.05) following the first screen and 1.71 (1.00, 2.91) following the second screen. Conclusion. Interval CRCs following gFOBT screening comprise a significant proportion of CRC diagnosed within 2 years after gFOBT testing and are associated with a higher risk of death.

Background: A clinical risk index employing age, sex, family history of colorectal cancer (CRC), smoking history and body mass index (BMI) may be useful for prioritizing screening with colonoscopy. The aim of this study was to conduct an external evaluation of a previously published risk index for advanced neoplasia (AN) in a large, well-characterized cohort., Methods: Five thousand one hundred thirty-seven asymptomatic persons aged 50 to 74 (54.9 % women) with a mean age (SD) of 58.3 (6.2) years were recruited for the study from a teaching hospital and colorectal cancer screening centre between 2003 and 2011. All participants underwent a complete screening colonoscopy and removal of all polyps. AN was defined as cancer or a tubular adenoma, traditional serrated adenoma (TSA), or sessile serrated adenoma (SSA) with villous characteristics (≥25% villous component), and/or high-grade dysplasia and/or diameter ≥10 mm. Risk scores for each participant were summed to derive an overall score (0-8). The c-statistic was used to measure discriminating ability of the risk index., Results: The prevalence of AN in the study cohort was 6.8 %. The likelihood of detecting AN increased from 3.6 to 13.1 % for those with a risk score of 1 to 6 respectively. The c-statistic for the multivariable logistic model in our cohort was 0.64 (95 % CI = 0.61-067) indicating modest overlap between risk scores., Conclusions: The risk index for AN using age, sex, family history, smoking history and BMI was found to be of limited discriminating ability upon external validation. The index requires further refinement to better predict AN in average risk persons of screening age.

Background: The Ontario Breast Screening Program (OBSP) is a population-based breast screening programme, not requiring physician referral. OBSP invites women by mail to book their next screens. However, women who do not participate in the OBSP, may be referred by physicians to non-OBSP mammography facilities, which do not remind women to book their next screen., Methods: We identified women without breast cancer prior to June 30, 2011, having bilateral mammography (M) during a baseline period at age 50 - 69 at OBSP or non-OBSP facilities, and during a re-exposure period, at the same facility type. We used a case-control design to study the association of facility type and having M during an outcome period. Cases were women failing to receive the outcome M. Controls were matched by age, census tract, and socioeconomic status. Exposure was baseline facility type. Covariates were comorbidity, residential mobility, and primary care physician (PCP) characteristics. Conditional logistic regression analysis was performed., Results: Cases were less likely to have been screened at OBSP facilities. Failure to receive the outcome M was associated with having moved after re-exposure M (OR = 1.61, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.52, 1.71), having a male PCP (OR = 1.05, 95% CI 1.02, 1.05), or a higher Charlson score (OR = 1.06 per unit increase, 95% CI 1.03, 1.09). Having re-exposure M at an OBSP facility (OR = 0.18, 95% CI 0.18, 0.19)., having a Canadian trained PCP (OR = 0.83, 95% CI 0.8, 0.87), and having a PCP one year after the re-exposure M (OR = 0.81, 95% CI 0.68, 0.97) were protective against failure to receive the outcome M., Conclusions: The OBSP, not requiring physician referral, and inviting women by mail to book their next screen, is associated with a lower probability of failure to reattend for subsequent screening than screening by PCP referral to non-OBSP facilities.

Background: Since the publication of two randomized controlled trials (RCT) in 1996 demonstrating the effectiveness of fecal occult blood test (FOBT) in reducing colorectal cancer (CRC) mortality, several public health initiatives have been introduced in Ontario to promote FOBT participation. We examined the effect of these initiatives on FOBT participation and evaluated temporal trends in participation between 1994 and 2012., Method: Using administrative databases, we identified 18 annual cohorts of individuals age 50 to 74 years eligible for CRC screening and identified those who received FOBT in each quarter of a year. We used negative binomial segmented regression to examine the effect of initiatives on trends and Joinpoint regression to evaluate temporal trends in FOBT participation., Results: Quarterly FOBT participation increased from 6.5 per 1000 in quarter 1 to 41.6 per 1000 in quarter 72 (January-March 2012). Segmented regression indicated increases following the publication of the RCTs in 1996 (Δ slope = 6%, 95% CI = 4.3-7.9), the primary care physician financial incentives announcement in 2005 (Δ slope = 2.2%, 95% CI = 0.68-3.7), the launch of the ColonCancerCheck (CCC) Program (Δ intercept = 35.4%, 95% CI = 18.3 -54.9), and the CCC Program 2-year anniversary (Δ slope = 7.2%, 95% CI = 3.9 - 10.5). Joinpoint validated these findings and identified the specific points when changes occurred., Conclusion: Although observed increases in FOBT participation cannot be definitively attributed to the various initiatives, the results of the two statistical approaches suggest a causal association between the observed increases in FOBT participation and most of these initiatives.

Objectives: A central tenet of organised cancer screening is that all persons in a target population are invited. The aims of this study were to identify participant and physician factors associated with response to mailed physician-linked invitations (study 1) and to evaluate their effectiveness in an organised colorectal cancer (CRC) screening programme (study 2)., Design and Setting: 2 studies (study 1-cohort design and study 2-matched cohort design, comprising study 1 participants and a matched control group) were conducted in the context of Ontario's organised province-wide CRC screening programme., Participants: 102 family physicians and 11 302 associated eligible patients from a technical evaluation ('the Pilot') of large-scale mailed invitations for CRC screening were included. Matched controls were randomly selected using propensity scores from among eligible patients associated with family physicians in similar practice types as the Pilot physicians., Intervention: Physician-linked mailed invitation to have CRC screening., Outcomes: Uptake of faecal occult blood test (FOBT) within 6 months of mailed invitation (primary) and uptake of FOBT or colonoscopy within 6 months of mailed invitation (secondary)., Results: Factors significantly associated with uptake of FOBT included prior FOBT use, older participant age, greater participant comorbidity and having a female physician. In the matched analysis, Pilot participants were more likely to complete an FOBT (22% vs 8%, p<0.0001) or an FOBT or colonoscopy (25% vs 11%, p<0.0001) within 6 months of mailed invitation than matched controls. The number needed to invite to screen one additional person was 7., Conclusions: Centralised large-scale mailing of physician-linked invitations is feasible and effective in the context of organised CRC screening.

Objectives: Few have compared socio-economic disparities in screening tests for cancer with recommended tests for other chronic diseases. We examined whether receipt of testing for colorectal, cervical and breast cancer, as well as diabetes and high cholesterol, differs by neighbourhood-level socio-economic and recent immigrant status., Methods: We conducted a population-based retrospective cohort study of patients identified as screen-eligible in 2009 living in Ontario, Canada. Postal codes were used to assign residents to a dissemination area (DA). Using Canadian census data, DAs were stratified by income quintile and proportion of recent immigrants. Prevalence of screening for cancer (colorectal, cervical, breast), diabetes, and high cholesterol, using administrative data, and prevalence ratios (least/most advantaged) were calculated., Results: The cohort comprised 7,652,592 people. Receipt of screening for colorectal cancer (women 61.6%; men 55.1%) and breast cancer (59.9%) were the lowest and diabetes (women 72.9%; men 61.4%) and high cholesterol (women 82.4%; men 70.3%) were the highest. We found disparities in the receipt of all tests, with the lowest uptake and largest disparities for cancer screening among those living in both low-income and high-immigration DAs: colorectal - women 48.6%; RR 0.77; 95% CI (0.74-0.79) and men 40.6%; RR 0.71 (0.68-0.74); cervical - 52.0%; RR 0.80 (0.78-0.81) and breast - 45.7%; RR 0.74 (0.72-0.77)., Conclusion: People living in low-income and high-immigration DAs had the lowest screening participation for all tests, although disparities were highest for cancer. An organized integrated chronic disease screening strategy leveraging the higher diabetes and high cholesterol screening participation may increase screening for cancer and other chronic diseases in never- and underscreened populations.

Background: Colorectal cancer screening (CRCS) is the only type of cancer screening where both genders reduce risks by similar proportions with identical procedures. It is an important context for examining gender differences in disease-prevention, as CRCS significantly reduces mortality via early detection and prevention. In efforts to increase screening adherence, there is increasing acknowledgment that obstructive attitudes prevent CRCS uptake. Precise identification of the gender differences in obstructive attitudes is necessary to improve uptake promotion. This study randomly sampled unscreened, screening - eligible individuals in Ontario, employing semi-structured interviews to elicit key differences in attitudinal obstructions towards colorectal cancer screening with the aim of deriving informative differences useful in planning promotions of screening uptake., Methods: N = 81 participants (49 females, 32 males), 50 years and above, with no prior CRCS, were contacted via random-digit telephone dialing, and consented via phone-mail contact. Altogether, N = 4,459 calls were made to yield N = 85 participants (1.9% response rate) of which N = 4 participants did not complete interviews. All subjects were eligible for free-of-charge CRCS in Ontario, and each was classified, via standard interview by CRCS screening decision-stage. Telephone-based, semi-structured interviews (SSIs) were employed to investigate gender differences in CRCS attitudes, using questions focused on 5 attitudinal domains: 1) Screening experience at the time of interview; 2) Barriers to adherence; 3) Predictors of Adherence; 4) Pain-anxiety experiences related to CRCS; 5) Gender-specific experiences re: CRCS, addressing all three modalities accessible through Ontario's program: a) fecal occult blood testing; b) flexible sigmoidoscopy; c) colonoscopy., Results: Interview transcript analyses indicated divergent themes related to CRCS for each gender: 1) bodily intrusion, 2) perforation anxiety, and 3) embarrassment for females and; 1) avoidant procrastination with underlying fatalism, 2) unnecessary health care and 3) uncomfortable vulnerability for males. Respondents adopted similar attitudes towards fecal occult blood testing, flexible sigmoidoscopy and colonoscopy, and were comparable in decision stage across tests. Gender differences were neither closely tied to screening stage nor modality. Women had more consistent physician relationships, were more screening-knowledgeable and better able to articulate views on screening. Men reported less consistent physician relationships, were less knowledgeable and kept decision-making processes vague and emotionally distanced (i.e. at 'arm's length')., Conclusions: Marked differences were observed in obstructive CRCS attitudes per gender. Females articulated reservations about CRCS-associated distress and males suppressed negative views while ambiguously procrastinating about the task of completing screening. Future interventions could seek to reduce CRCS-related stress (females) and address the need to overcome procrastination (males).

Most studies reporting more favourable biological features of screen-detected breast cancers compared with symptomatic or interval cancers include initial or prevalent screens and therefore may not indicate the real benefit of screening on breast cancer mortality. We conducted case-case comparisons within a cohort of eligible women (N=771 715) who were aged 50-69 between 1 January 1995 and 31 December 2003. A randomly selected sample of breast cancers (N=1848) diagnosed among these women were compared by detection method. Tumour characteristics of interval cancers (N=362) diagnosed after 6-24 months of a negative screen or symptomatic breast cancers (N=491) were compared with subsequent screen-detected breast cancers diagnosed within 6 months of a positive screen (N=995) using polytomous logistic regression. Tumours were evaluated for clinical presentation, histology and expression of hormone receptors. Women with symptomatic detected [odds ratio (OR)=7.48, 95% confidence interval (CI)=5.38-10.38] and interval cancers (OR=2.20, 95% CI=1.56-3.10) were more often diagnosed at stage III-IV versus I than women with rescreen-detected cancers. After adjusting for tumour size, women with symptomatic cancers had tumours of higher grade (OR=1.50, 95% CI=1.05-2.15) and mitotic score (OR=1.69, 95% CI=1.15-2.49) and women with interval cancers had tumours of higher mitotic score (OR=1.52, 95% CI=1.01-2.28) compared with women diagnosed at screening. Subsequent screen-detected cancers are not only detected at an earlier stage but are also less aggressive, leading to a better prognosis. As long-term mortality reduction for breast screening may depend on subsequent screens, our study indicates that mammography screening can be effective in women aged 50-69.

Objective: To obtain data that could be used to optimize the content and design of the targeted, mailed invitations that Ontario's provincewide colorectal cancer (CRC) screening program plans to use to increase screening uptake; to identify other strategies to increase CRC screening uptake; and to describe the effects of this qualitative work on a subsequent quantitative pilot study., Design: Qualitative study using semistructured focus groups., Setting: Four different Ontario communities., Participants: Six focus groups comprising a total of 62 participants., Methods: Six focus groups were conducted in 4 different Ontario communities. For 3 of the communities, participants were recruited from the general population by a private marketing firm, using random-digit dialing, and received a small honorarium for participating. In Sault Ste Marie, participants were convenience samples recruited from a large primary care practice and were not offered compensation. Responses were elicited regarding various strategies for promoting CRC screening. Findings represent all responses observed as well as recommendations to program planners based on focus groups observations., Main Findings: Key themes identified included the importance of receiving a CRC screening invitation from one's family physician; a desire for personalized, brief communications; and a preference for succinct information in mailed materials. Strong support was indicated for direct mailing of the CRC screening kit (fecal occult blood test). Our findings substantially influenced the final design and content of the envelope and letter to be mailed in the subsequent quantitative pilot study., Conclusion: We report strong support from our focus groups for a succinct, personalized invitation for CRC screening from one's own family physician. We have also shown that qualitative evaluation can be used to provide decision makers with pertinent and timely knowledge. Our study is highly relevant to other public health programs, particularly other Canadian jurisdictions planning organized CRC screening programs.

Background: determining whether a colonoscopy is performed for screening or nonscreening purposes can facilitate clinical practice and research. However, there is no simple method to determine the colonoscopy indication using patient medical files or health administrative databases., Objective: to determine patient-endoscopist agreement on the colonoscopy indication., Methods: a cross-sectional study was conducted among staff endoscopists and their patients at seven university-affiliated hospitals in Montreal, Quebec. The study participants were 50 to 75 years of age, they were able to understand English or French, and were about to undergo colonoscopy. Self- (endoscopist) and interviewer-administered (patient) questionnaires ascertained information that permitted classification of the colonoscopy indication. Patient colonoscopy indication was defined as the following: perceived screening (routine screening, family history, age); perceived nonscreening (follow-up); medical history that implied nonscreening; and a combination of the three preceding indications. Agreement between patient and endoscopist indications was measured using concordance and Kappa statistic., Results: in total, 702 patients and 38 endoscopists participated. The three most common reasons for undergoing colonoscopy were routine screening⁄regular check-up (33.8%), follow-up to a previous problem (30.2%) and other problem (24.6%). Concordance (range 0.79 to 0.85) and Kappa (range 0.58 to 0.70) were highest for perceived nonscreening colonoscopy. Recent large bowel symptoms accounted for 120 occurrences of disagreement in which the patient perceived a nonscreening colonoscopy while the endoscopist perceived a screening colonoscopy., Conclusions: patient self-report may be an acceptable means for rapidly assessing whether a colonoscopy is performed for screening or nonscreening purposes. Delivery of patient-centred care may help patients and endoscopists reach a shared understanding of the reason for colonoscopy.

Background & Aims: The incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC) overall is reduced for up to 10 years after a negative colonoscopy. The objective of this research was to determine the incidence of proximal and distal CRC after a negative complete colonoscopy., Methods: A cohort of Ontario residents aged 50 to 80 years who had a negative complete colonoscopy between January 1, 1992, and December 31, 1997, was identified by using linked administrative databases. Cohort members had no prior history of CRC, inflammatory bowel disease, or recent colonic resection. Each individual was followed up through December 31, 2005, and the relative rate (RR) of overall CRC, distal CRC, and proximal CRC was compared with the remaining Ontario population., Results: A cohort of 110,402 individuals with a negative complete colonoscopy was identified. The RR of CRC overall and the RR of distal CRC remained significantly lower than the Ontario population. For example, at year 14 the RR of distal CRC was 0.21 (95% confidence interval, 0.05-0.36). The RR of proximal CRC was significantly lower than the Ontario population in half of the follow-up years, mainly after 7 years of follow-up., Conclusions: Over a 14-year follow-up period, negative complete colonoscopy was associated with a subsequent reduced incidence of CRC overall, and of incident CRC in the distal colon. However, the reduction in incidence of proximal CRC differed in magnitude and timing, and occurred in half the follow-up years, mainly after 7 years of follow-up. These results highlight an important limitation of colonoscopy in usual clinical practice.

Background: Cervical screening is an effective prevention measure. It is unclear whether cervical cancer results from non-participation in screening or from failures in detection by screening. Analysis of the screening history of patients with cervix cancer may contribute to understanding failures in prevention., Methods: A cohort of patients presenting during 1 year was identified. Dates and results of cervical smears in the 4 years prior to presentation were extracted from a screening database. Patients were grouped as follows: 'No screening'--no Pap records; 'Pre-diagnostic'--one or more Pap tests within 6 months of presentation; 'Sporadic screening'--one Pap test between 6 and 48 months prior to presentation; and 'Regular screening'--at least two Pap tests 6-48 months before presentation., Results: 225 patients were identified (median age: 48 years, range 25-107). Eighty- eight had no records of screening; a further 66 were categorized as pre-diagnostic. These two groups (68% of incident cases) were considered not to have participated in routine screening. A further 15% had sporadic screening tests, but only 37 patients (16%) had evidence of regular screening. Clinically, 53, 41 and 6% presented with early, locally advanced and metastatic disease, respectively. Older patients (>50 years) were more likely to present with advanced disease (61 vs 37% at least Stage II)., Conclusions: These results suggest that the failure to prevent invasive cervix cancer in this population can largely be attributed to failures in recruitment for screening.

Background: The Ontario FOBT Project is a pilot study of fecal occult blood testing (FOBT) for colorectal cancer screening conducted among age-eligible volunteers (50 to 75 years) in 12 of 37 public health regions in Ontario., Methods: Volunteers responded to invitations from primary care practitioners (PCPs) in six regions, and from public health programs in the remaining regions. FOBT collection kits were distributed from routine laboratory specimen collection sites, to which completed kits were returned. Results were sent to PCPs in all 12 regions, with copies sent to the study office at Cancer Care Ontario (Toronto, Ontario). Follow-up of positive results was at the discretion of the PCPs. The study files contained the unique Ontario Health Insurance Numbers, the date of the analyses, the number of satisfactory slides and the results for each slide. The Ontario Health Insurance Numbers were encrypted for each participant, and along with the study file, were linked to medical billing claims, hospital records and aggregate demographic data., Results: Among participants with positive results (men 3.5% and women 2.2%), the median time from date of FOBT analysis to date of colonoscopy was 121 days among men and 202 days among women. At the end of follow-up, after positive FOBT (six to 17 months), 73% of men and 56% of women had proceeded to colonoscopy., Conclusion: Although colonoscopy appeared to be acceptable to the majority of participants with positive FOBT, accessibility problems was the likely explanation for lengthy intervals between the date of positive FOBT and its performance. Differences between the experiences of men and women require further investigation.

Although regular screening can decrease morbidity and mortality from colorectal cancer, screening rates nationwide are suboptimal due to a lack of organized screening programs. Since workplace colorectal cancer-awareness programs can potentially mitigate both patient and physician barriers to screening, we assessed the workplace as a venue for implementing a colorectal cancer screening-awareness program. In this cross-sectional study, 3756 members of the Toronto Police Service attended an education session about colorectal cancer; 965 of these members gave their informed consent and completed a 5-item colorectal cancer risk-assessment questionnaire. Nearly one-third (30.9%, or 298/965) of this relatively young population (83.1%, or 802/965, < 50 years of age) were at average or above-average risk for colorectal cancer. In the Toronto Police Service population, the workplace was a useful adjunct to reliance on primary care physicians to raise awareness about this important public health issue. These findings should encourage the development of further Canadian workplace colorectal cancer-screening awareness programs.

Background/objective: The incidence and mortality rates for colorectal cancer (CRC) in Canada are among the highest in the world. For individuals >/=50 yr, CRC screening is effective in reducing both CRC incidence and mortality. The goal of this research was to conduct a Canadian population-based study of the use of tests and procedures to evaluate the large bowel to estimate the extent of CRC screening., Methods: We identified an inception cohort of all residents of Ontario aged 50-59 on January 1, 1995, without a previous history of CRC or large-bowel evaluation by five tests or procedures: fecal occult blood test (FOBT), barium enema, rigid sigmoidoscopy, flexible sigmoidoscopy, and colonoscopy. We followed these individuals to December 31, 2000, identified all tests received, and determined the proportion that received one or more tests or procedures of each type. Data were obtained from three sources: the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) database, the Canadian Institute for Health Information-Discharge Abstract Database (CIHI-DAD), and the Registered Persons Database (RPDB)., Results: We identified 982,443 individuals in our inception cohort without prior CRC or large bowel evaluation. The proportion that had at least one test or procedure was less than 10% for each type. The largest proportion (9.3%) had one or more FOBTs. Classified according to the initial test received, 14.5% had a non-endoscopic test (FOBT, barium enema) and 6% had an endoscopic test (rigid sigmoidoscopy, flexible sigmoidoscopy, colonoscopy). The majority (79.5%) had no test or procedure to evaluate the large bowel., Conclusion: An extraordinarily low proportion (<20.5%) of screen-eligible 50-59-yr-old men and women in Ontario were screened for CRC during a 6-yr follow-up. Given the high burden of CRC in Canada a major opportunity exists to improve the health of Canadians by increasing our screening efforts.

In the province-wide colorectal cancer (CRC) screening program in Ontario, Canada, individuals with a family history of CRC are offered colonoscopy screening and those without are offered guaiac fecal occult blood testing (gFOBT, Hemoccult II). We used microsimulation modeling to estimate the cumulative number of CRC deaths prevented and colonoscopies performed between 2008 and 2038 with this family history-based screening program, compared to a regular gFOBT program. In both programs, we assumed screening uptake increased from 30% (participation level in 2008 before the program was launched) to 60%. We assumed that 11% of the population had a family history, defined as having at least one first-degree relative diagnosed with CRC. The programs offered screening between age 50 and 74 years, every two years for gFOBT, and every ten years for colonoscopy. Compared to opportunistic screening (2008 participation level kept constant at 30%), the gFOBT program cumulatively prevented 6,700 more CRC deaths and required 570,000 additional colonoscopies by 2038. The family history-based screening program increased these numbers to 9,300 and 1,100,000, a 40% and 93% increase, respectively. If biennial gFOBT was replaced with biennial fecal immunochemical test (FIT), annual Hemoccult Sensa or five-yearly sigmoidoscopy screening, both the added benefits and colonoscopies required would decrease. A biennial gFOBT screening program that identifies individuals with a family history of CRC and recommends them to undergo colonoscopy screening would prevent 40% (range in sensitivity analyses: 20-51%) additional deaths while requiring 93% (range: 43-116%) additional colonoscopies, compared to a regular gFOBT screening program.