Flexible Sigmoidoscopy: More Than a Unilateral Breast Exam?

Excerpt

Upon reviewing the many wonderful articles and perspective pieces in this Special Issue of Digestive Diseases and Sciences prior to publication, it occurred to me that an important method of screening had not been covered. While in 2010 in the USA <6 % of respondents aged 50–75 reported having screening flexible sigmoidoscopy performed within 5 years (an additional 1.3 % had sigmoidoscopy plus fecal occult blood testing) [1, 2], flexible sigmoidoscopy remains part of the menu of screening options recommended by several professional society guidelines [3‐6]. Four recent randomized trials also provide (arguably) the largest body of prospective evidence demonstrating the role of colorectal cancer (CRC) screening in reducing CRC-related mortality of any screening method [7‐10]. I therefore decided that it was important to at least provide a brief perspective on flexible sigmoidoscopy as a CRC screening tool, including why it is not used more today in the USA. …