Do gastroenterologists themselves follow the American Cancer Society recommendations for colorectal cancer screening?

OBJECTIVE: Colorectal cancer is a leading cause of mortality from cancer in the United States. Unfortunately, many patients already have advanced disease by the time symptoms occur. Screening of asymptomatic persons offers the potential of detecting the disease at its early and curable stages. The American Cancer Society (ACS) screening recommendations are the most widely employed in this country. We sought to determine whether gastroenterologists themselves follow the ACS recommendations, and if not, to determine their reasons for not doing so. We also looked at gastroenterologists' use of diets and supplements that might reduce the likelihood of colorectal cancer.

METHOD: A questionnaire was mailed out to all gastroenterologists with U.S. addresses listed in the American College of Gastroenterology membership directory.

RESULTS: Of 1466 respondents, 330 were excluded because they were at high risk for colorectal cancer or were not gastroenterologists. This left 875 gastroenterologists age 40 years and over and 261 gastroenterologists under age 40 for analysis. Overall, 68% of respondents felt the ACS recommendations were adequate; 32% did not. Of those who disagreed with the ACS recommendations, 58% preferred screening colonoscopy, and 22% preferred flexible sigmoidoscopy without annual fecal occult blood testing. Of gastroenterologists age 40 and over, 38% strictly followed the ACS recommendations themselves, 39% partially, and 23% did not follow them. Fifty percent of those who did not strictly follow the recommendations believed they were adequate but procrastinated or "did not have the time" to follow them. Overall, 82% of gastroenterologists said they used a high fiber diet, 68% used a diet low in fat, 18% used a calcium supplement, and 25% used aspirin regularly.

CONCLUSIONS: Although two-thirds of gastroenterologists agreed with the ACS recommendations, only 38% themselves followed them strictly. Of the approximately one-third of gastroenterologists who considered them inadequate, a majority preferred screening colonoscopy. Gastroenterologists were more aggressive in following dietary practices that might help prevent colorectal cancer development than they were in undergoing screening.