Emilia M. Crighton

Pre-notification increases uptake of colorectal cancer screening in all demographic groups: a randomized controlled trial

Objectives To assess whether pre-notification is effective in increasing uptake of colorectal cancer screening for all demographic groups. Setting Scottish national colorectal cancer screening programme. Methods Males and females aged 50-74 years received a faecal occult blood test by post to complete at home. They were randomized to receive in addition: the pre-notification letter, the pre-notification letter + information booklet, or the usual invitation. Overall, 59,953 subjects were included in the trial between 13/04/09 and 29/05/09 and followed to 27/11/09. Pre-notification letters were posted two weeks ahead of the screening test kit. Uptake was defined as the return of a screening test and chi-squared tests compared uptake between the trial arms. Logistic regression assessed the impact of the letter and letter + booklet on uptake independently of gender, age, deprivation and screening round. Results Uptake was higher with both the letter (59.0%) and the letter + booklet (58.5%) compared with the usual invitation (53.9%, p < 0.0001). This increased uptake was seen for males, females, all age groups and all deprivation categories including least deprived females (letter 69.9%, usual invitation 66.6%) and most deprived males (42.6% vs. 36.1%), the groups with the highest and lowest levels of uptake respectively in the pilot screening rounds conducted prior to the roll out of the programme. Uptake with the pre-notification letter compared with the usual invitation was higher both unadjusted and adjusted for demographic factors (odds ratio 1.24, 95% CI 1.193-1.294). Conclusions Pre-notification is an effective method of increasing uptake in colorectal cancer screening for both genders and all age and deprivation groups.

The Impact of Age, Sex and Socioeconomic Deprivation on Outcomes in a Colorectal Cancer Screening Programme

Background Population-based colorectal cancer screening has been shown to reduce cancer specific mortality and is used across the UK. Despite evidence that older age, male sex and deprivation are associated with an increased incidence of colorectal cancer, uptake of bowel cancer screening varies across demographic groups. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of age, sex and deprivation on outcomes throughout the screening process. Methods A prospectively maintained database, encompassing the first screening round of a faecal occult blood test screening programme in a single geographical area, was analysed. Results Overall, 395 096 individuals were invited to screening, 204 139 (52%) participated and 6 079 (3%) tested positive. Of the positive tests, 4 625 (76%) attended for colonoscopy and cancer was detected in 396 individuals (9%). Lower uptake of screening was associated with younger age, male sex and deprivation (all p<0.001). Only deprivation was associated with failure to proceed to colonoscopy following a positive test (p<0.001). Despite higher positivity rates in those that were more deprived (p<0.001), the likelihood of detecting cancer in those attending for colonoscopy was lower (8% most deprived vs 10% least deprived, p = 0.003). Conclusion Individuals who are deprived are less likely to participate in screening, less likely to undergo colonoscopy and less likely to have cancer identified as a result of a positive test. Therefore, this study suggests that strategies aimed at improving participation of deprived individuals in colorectal cancer screening should be directed at all stages of the screening process and not just uptake of the test.

Temporal trends in mode, site and stage of presentation with the introduction of colorectal cancer screening: a decade of experience from the West of Scotland.

Background:Population colorectal cancer screening programmes have been introduced to reduce cancer-specific mortality through the detection of early-stage disease. The present study aimed to examine the impact of screening introduction in the West of Scotland.Methods:Data on all patients with a diagnosis of colorectal cancer between January 2003 and December 2012 were extracted from a prospectively maintained regional audit database. Changes in mode, site and stage of presentation before, during and after screening introduction were examined.Results:In a population of 2.4 million, over a 10-year period, 14 487 incident cases of colorectal cancer were noted. Of these, 7827 (54%) were males and 7727 (53%) were socioeconomically deprived. In the postscreening era, 18% were diagnosed via the screening programme. There was a reduction in both emergency presentation (20% prescreening vs 13% postscreening, P⩽0.001) and the proportion of rectal cancers (34% prescreening vs 31% pos-screening, P⩽0.001) over the timeframe. Within non-metastatic disease, an increase in the proportion of stage I tumours at diagnosis was noted (17% prescreening vs 28% postscreening, P⩽0.001).Conclusions:Within non-metastatic disease, a shift towards earlier stage at diagnosis has accompanied the introduction of a national screening programme. Such a change should lead to improved outcomes in patients with colorectal cancer.

The impact of aspirin, statins and ACE-inhibitors on the presentation of colorectal neoplasia in a colorectal cancer screening programme

Background:There is increasing evidence that aspirin, statins and ACE-inhibitors can reduce the incidence of colorectal cancer. The aim of the present study was to assess the impact of these medications on an individual’s risk of advanced neoplasia in a colorectal cancer screening programme.Methods:A prospectively maintained database of the first round of screening in our geographical area was analysed. The outcome measure was advanced neoplasia (cancer or intermediate or high risk adenomata).Results:Of the 4188 individuals who underwent colonoscopy following a positive occult blood stool test, colorectal pathology was present in 3043(73%). Of the 3043 patients with colorectal pathology, 1704(56%) had advanced neoplasia. Patients with advanced neoplasia were more likely to be older (OR 1.38; 95% CI 1.19–1.59) and male (OR 1.66; 95% CI 1.43–1.94) (both P<0.001). In contrast, those on aspirin (OR 0.68; 95% CI 0.56–0.83), statins (OR 0.65; 95% CI 0.55–0.78) or ACE inhibitors (OR 0.71; 95% CI 0.57–0.89) were less likely to have advanced neoplasia at colonoscopy (all P<0.05).Conclusion:In patients undergoing colonoscopy following a positive occult blood stool test with documented evidence of aspirin, statin or ACE-inhibitor usage, advanced neoplasia is less likely, suggesting that the usage of these medications may have a chemopreventative effect.

Screening for colorectal cancer: What is the impact on the determinants of outcome?

Colorectal cancer screening has been introduced across the UK following several large randomised control trials and a Cochrane review that have shown a reduction in cancer specific mortality with population based Faecal Occult Blood testing. This has been attributed to the detection of more early stage disease. It is well known that in addition to stage at presentation there are a variety of other key factors that determine a patients outcome following a diagnosis of colorectal cancer. For example there are tumour-related factors, such the presence of venous invasion and tumour necrosis, and also host-related factors, both in terms of demographic profile and an elevated circulating host inflammatory response that have been shown to be predictive of a poorer outcome. The present review summarises both the background behind the current screening programme and the observed and anticipated impact that colorectal cancer screening will have on the key determinants of outcome.

A comparison of tumour and host prognostic factors in screen-detected versus non screen-detected colorectal cancer: a contemporaneous study.

In addition to TNM stage there are adverse tumour and host factors, such as venous invasion and the presence of an elevated systemic inflammatory response (SIR), that influence the outcome in colorectal cancer. The present study aimed to examine how these factors varied in screen‐detected (SD) and nonscreen‐detected (NSD) tumours.

Flexible sigmoidoscopy following a positive faecal occult blood test within a bowel screening programme may reduce the detection of neoplasia.

Colorectal cancer screening using the faecal occult blood test (FOBt) detects a disproportionate number of left‐sided tumours. This study aims to examine the theoretical impact on neoplasia detection rates of a sigmoidoscopy‐first protocol in FOBt‐positive patients undergoing colonoscopy.

The Reshaping Care for Older People programme and changes in unscheduled hospital care: Analysis of routinely collected hospital data

OBJECTIVE This study examines mean length of stay (LOS) and rates of emergency bed days during the course of the Reshaping Care for Older People (RCOP) programme in Glasgow City. METHODS An ecological small-area study design was used. Standardised monthly rates of bed days and LOS were calculated, between April 2011 and March 2015, for residents of Glasgow City aged 65 years and over. Multilevel negative binomial models for the square root of each outcome nested by datazone were created, adjusting for sex, 5-year age group, area-level deprivation, season, month and month squared. Relative index of inequality (RII) and slope index of inequality (SII) were calculated for each year and the trend was examined. RESULTS The rate of bed days first rose then fell during the study period, while LOS first fell then rose. Relative risk (RR) of an additional bed day was greater for males (RR=1.14 (1.12, 1.16)) and increased with increasing age group. There was no gender difference in LOS. Bed days per head of population first increased then fell; for 12-month period RR=1.01 (0.98, 1.05) and for 12-month period squared, RR=0.999 (0.999, 0.999). RII and SII for rate of bed days per head of population were significant, though not for LOS. SII for bed days per head of population did not change significantly over time, while RII reduced at the 87% level of confidence. CONCLUSIONS The results suggest a reduction in secondary care use by older people during the RCOP programme, and a possible reduction in socioeconomic inequalities in bed days in the longer term.

Reshaping Care for Older People: Trends in emergency admissions to hospital during a period of simultaneous interventions in Glasgow City, April 2011-March 2015.

This study describes trends in emergency admissions (EAs) in Glasgow City during a period when interventions were designed and implemented, aimed at shifting the balance from institutional to community-based care. Standardised monthly rates of EAs between April 2011 and March 2015 were calculated, for residents of Glasgow City aged 65 years and over. Multilevel zero-inflated Negative Binomial models for EAs nested by datazone were created, adjusting for sex, 5-year age group, area-level deprivation (SIMD quintile), season, month and month squared. Models were also run for EAs by cause, for three causes: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), falls and dementia. The rate of EAs first rose then fell during the study period. When modelled, RRs for month (RR for month 12 relative to month 1 and 95% CI=1.02 (0.99, 1.06)) and month squared (RR=0.999 (0.998, 0.999)) indicated a rise in admissions until February 2012, followed by a fall. Risk of admission was greater for males and increased with increasing age group. The risk of going into hospital for those from SIMD 5 (most affluent) was 0.58 (0.56, 0.59) relative to those from SIMD 1 (most deprived). Socioeconomic inequalities were particularly great for COPD-related admissions, where RR for SIMD 5 was 0.25 (0.23, 0.28) times that of SIMD 1. An interaction term between month and SIMD was not significant for any outcome. For dementia-related EAs there was a suggestion that inequalities may be reducing over time. EAs for those aged 65 years and more reduced during the Change Fund period, with similar relative reductions observed across all deprivation quintiles.

“Taking away the chaos”: a health needs assessment for people who inject drugs in public places in Glasgow, Scotland

BackgroundPublic injecting of recreational drugs has been documented in a number of cities worldwide and was a key risk factor in a HIV outbreak in Glasgow, Scotland during 2015. We investigated the characteristics and health needs of people involved in this practice and explored stakeholder attitudes to new harm reduction interventions.MethodsWe used a tripartite health needs assessment framework, comprising epidemiological, comparative, and corporate approaches. We undertook an analysis of local and national secondary data sources on drug use; a series of rapid literature reviews; and an engagement exercise with people currently injecting in public places, people in recovery from injecting drug use, and staff from relevant health and social services.ResultsBetween 400 and 500 individuals are estimated to regularly inject in public places in Glasgow city centre: most experience a combination of profound social vulnerabilities. Priority health needs comprise addictions care; prevention and treatment of blood-borne viruses; other injecting-related infections and injuries; and overdose and drug-related death. Among people with lived experience and staff from relevant health and social care services, there was widespread – though not unanimous – support for the introduction of safer injecting facilities and heroin-assisted treatment services.ConclusionsThe environment and context in which drug consumption occurs is a key determinant of harm, and is inextricably linked to upstream social factors. Public injecting therefore requires a multifaceted response. Though evidence-based interventions exist, their implementation internationally is variable: understanding the attitudes of key stakeholders provides important insights into local facilitators and barriers. Following this study, Glasgow plans to establish the world’s first co-located safer injecting facility and heroin-assisted treatment service.