Author, Dr. Seung Park MD, Chief Informatics Officer

WHO: The study of 84,585 participants between ages 55-64, was based in Poland, Norway, and Sweden was recently performed.

WHAT: The study findings suggested that colonoscopies are not as effective in preventing colon cancer as past medical experience would predict. Our reviewed the following challenges for this news:

- CHALLENGE #1: The follow-up time for this study was too short, this probably was not long enough to detect events over time. We believe a 15-year follow-up would have been more appropriate

- CHALLENGE #2: The study was likely biased based on population and enrollment. Not only are colonoscopy guidelines different in every country, but also this study only evaluated people living in the Netheralnds, where genetic, social, and health care systems are different than a US population. As well, only 42% of those patients invited to be screened actually got screened; this is important because it likely introduces selection bias among people who are more likely to engage in their care early on.

INTERESTING CONSIDERATIONS:
- Still some benefit likely seen: Among those who got a colonoscopy, there was a 31% decrease in colon cancer and a 50% decrease in death related to colon cancer compared to those who did not get screened earlier.

- This study is hard to generalize to the experiences of the US: This study was not racially diverse. We know, for instance, that African Americans are disproportionately affected by colon cancer, tend to occur earlier and with more aggressive forms than others.

We applaud the study for its size and breadth and wish that there were more studies evaluating the possible benefits of colorectal screenings. However, I believe that for the above reasons that media coverage of this study has been misleading, with headlines such as "Colon cancer screening not beneficial". The truth is colonoscopies save lives and prevent colon cancer.

It’s never been more important for patients to have access to the medical truth, and to have their care guided not by pundits, but by the best medical evidence. People see clinical research as a guides and sources of truth, which is why we have the responsibility to ensure that studies are diverse and representative of all populations.

At Pluto Health, we strive to help patients by leveraging best practices in medicine to support every person's unique health journey.