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. 2015 Nov;4(6):541-51.
doi: 10.2217/cer.15.39. Epub 2015 Jul 23.

Observational methods to assess the effectiveness of screening colonoscopy in reducing right colon cancer mortality risk: SCOLAR

Michael Goodman  1 , Robert H Fletcher  2 , V Paul Doria-Rose  3 , Christopher D Jensen  4 , Alexis M Zebrowski  5 , Tracy A Becerra  6 , Virginia P Quinn  6 , Ann G Zauber  7 , Douglas A Corley  4 , Chyke A Doubeni  5
Affiliations

Observational methods to assess the effectiveness of screening colonoscopy in reducing right colon cancer mortality risk: SCOLAR

Michael Goodman et al. J Comp Eff Res. 2015 Nov.

Abstract

Aims: Screening colonoscopy's effectiveness in reducing risk of death from right colon cancers remains unclear. Methodological challenges of existing observational studies addressing this issue motivated the design of 'Effectiveness of Screening for Colorectal Cancer in Average-Risk Adults (SCOLAR)'.

Methods: SCOLAR is a nested case-control study based on two large integrated health systems. This affords access to a large, well-defined historical cohort linked to integrated data on cancer outcomes, patient eligibility, test indications and important confounders.

Results: We found electronic data adequate for excluding ineligible patients (except family history), but not the detailed information needed for test indication assignment.

Conclusion: The lessons of SCOLAR's design and implementation may be useful for future studies seeking to evaluate the effectiveness of screening tests in community settings.

Keywords: cancer screening; case–control study; colorectal cancer; selection bias.

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Conflict of interest statement

Financial & competing interests disclosure

The study was supported by a grant from the National Cancer Institute at the US NIH (#U01 CA151736). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Figures

<b>Figure 1.</b>
Figure 1.. Overview of data collection process.
†Fecal occult blood tests include guaiac fecal occult blood tests and fecal immunochemical tests.
<b>Figure 2.</b>
Figure 2.. Flow of data elements collected on the study.
†The additional data extracted were from paper and electronic medical records, and from electronic databases. ‡Fecal occult blood tests include guaiac fecal occult blood tests and fecal immunochemical tests. SES: Socioeconomic status indicator.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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