United European Gastroenterology Journal

Due to few randomized trials, there is uncertainty about the long-time effect of endoscopic screening on colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence and mortality.

To evaluate the long-term effect of endoscopic screening on CRC incidence and mortality, we performed a population-based randomized controlled trial in Norway.

In 1983, 799 Norwegian men and women, age 50–59 years were drawn from the population registry and randomly assigned to flexible sigmoidoscopy screening (400 individuals), or no screening (399 individuals). Colonoscopy surveillance was offered after two and six years for all polyp-bearers in the screening group. In 1996, both groups were offered colonoscopy. Only individuals with advanced adenomas at colonoscopy in 1996 were recommended surveillance. All individuals were followed through Norwegian registries until 2008. Hazard ratios (HR) for CRC incidence, and CRC and overall mortality rates were calculated.

During 26 years of follow up (17,327 person-years), 26 colorectal cancers were observed: seven in the screening group and 19 in the control group (HR in screening group 0.40, 95% CI 0.17–0.95, p = 0.04). Eight individuals died of colorectal cancer; one in the screening group and seven in the control group (HR 0.16, 95% CI 0.02–1.28, p = 0.08).

This first randomized trial on the long-term effect of endoscopic screening shows reduced CRC incidence and mortality if screening is combined with rigorous surveillance for individuals with polyps. Colonoscopy screening without such surveillance may not be effective.

Nocturnal reflux has been associated with severe complications of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease and a poorer quality of life. Hiatal hernia predisposes to increased oesophageal acid exposure, but the effect on night reflux symptoms has never been investigated. The aim of the study was to investigate if hiatal hernia is associated with more frequent and severe night reflux symptoms.

A total of 215 consecutive patients (110 male, mean age 52.6 ± 14.7 years) answered a detailed questionnaire on frequency and severity of specific day and night reflux symptoms. Subsequently, all patients underwent upper endoscopy and were categorized in two groups based on the endoscopic presence of hiatal hernia.

Patients with hiatal hernia were more likely to have nocturnal symptoms compared to those without hiatal hernia (78.6 vs. 51.8%, p = 0.0001); 59.2% of patients with hiatal hernia reported heartburn and 60.2% regurgitation compared to 43.8 and 39.3% of those without hiatal hernia, respectively (p = 0.033 and p = 0.003). The proportions of patients with day heartburn or regurgitation were not significantly different between the two groups. Night heartburn and regurgitation were graded as significantly more severe by patients with hiatal hernia (4.9 ± 4.2 vs. 3.2 ± 3.7, p = 0.002, and 3.8 ± 4.2 vs. 2.2 ± 3.5, p = 0.001, respectively). Patients with hiatal hernia had more frequent weekly night heartburn and regurgitation compared to those without hiatal hernia (p = 0.004 and p = 0.008, respectively).

More patients with hiatal hernia reported nocturnal reflux symptoms compared to those without hiatal hernia. Furthermore, nocturnal reflux symptoms were significantly more frequent and graded as significantly more severe in patients with presence of hiatal hernia rather than in those without hiatal hernia.

The GerdQ scoring system may be a useful tool for managing gastro-oesophageal reflux disease. However, GerdQ has not been fully validated in Asian countries.

To validate the Japanese version of GerdQ and to compare this version to the Carlsson-Dent questionnaire (CDQ) in both general and hospital-based populations.

The questionnaires, including the Japanese versions of GerdQ and CDQ, and questions designed to collect demographic information, were sent to a general population via the web, and to a hospital-based population via conventional mail. The optimal cutoff GerdQ score and the differences in the characteristics between GerdQ and CDQ were assessed.

The answers from 863 web-responders and 303 conventional-mail responders were analysed. When a GerdQ cutoff score was set at 8, GerdQ significantly predicted the presence of reflux oesophagitis. Although the GerdQ scores were correlated with the CDQ scores, the concordance rates were poor. Multivariate analysis results indicated that, the additional use of over-the-counter medications was associated with GerdQ score ≥ 8, but not with CDQ score ≥ 6.

The GerdQ cutoff score of 8 was appropriate for the Japanese population. Compared with CDQ, GerdQ was more useful for evaluating treatment efficacy and detecting patients’ unmet medical needs.

Bleeding and perforation are two major complications of gastric endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD). There are only a few reports concerning gastric obstruction related to ESD in the stomach.

The aim of this study was to clarify the clinicopathological features of patients who experienced gastric obstruction after gastric ESD.

Clinicopathological data of 1878 patients who underwent gastric ESD from September 2002 to December 2010 were retrospectively reviewed. Data of lesion location, circumference, circumferential extent of ESD ulcer, specimen diameter, depth of cancer, ulcer findings within the lesion, curability of ESD, number of simultaneous lesions, and occurrence of post-operative bleeding and perforation were collected. The risk of gastric obstruction regarding lesion and procedure related factors were assessed, and treatment for these patients was studied.

Gastric obstruction was observed in 2.5% of the patients (47/1878). Symptoms occurred in a median of 24 days after ESD. The incidence among patients with lesions in the upper part of the stomach was 4.7% (17/316), 0.36% (3/818) in the middle, and 3.8% (27/699) in the lower part. In relation to the circumferential extent, the incidence was 50% (33/66) among patients with a resection of >75% of the circumference. Stenosis was observed in 87% (41/47) of patients with gastric obstruction. Endoscopic balloon dilation was performed in 45 patients. Perforation due to EBD occurred in four patients; one was referred to surgery.

Patients with a wide resection of >75% of the circumference should be considered for early repeat endoscopy after ESD, and dilation should be performed with caution if found to have stenosis.

Diverticular disease is the most common morphological abnormality of the colon and the fifth most important gastrointestinal disease in terms of cost in the Western world. Tower Hamlets is the poorest borough in London containing a large Bangladeshi community. We observed that emergency admissions with complications of colonic diverticulosis were minimal in the Bangladeshi community. The objective was to compare the background prevalence of colonic diverticulosis in Bangladeshis with other ethnicities in patients undergoing colonoscopy at a single centre in Tower Hamlets.

Four thousand four hundred and fifty-four consecutive colonoscopy reports over a 2-year period were retrospectively analysed. Patients under 40 years of age and repeat colonoscopies were excluded, leaving 3151 patients (mean age: 63 years; 48% male). Demographics including ethnicity and medical background were retrieved from the electronic patient record system and findings correlated with the prevalence of other ‘Western’ diseases in the cohort.

Six hundred and thirty out of 3151 (20%) colonoscopies were performed on Bangladeshis. The prevalence of colonic diverticulosis was significantly lower in Bangladeshis (17/630: 2.7%) than Caucasians (673/1869: 36%), Indians/Pakistanis (16/161: 9.9%), Oriental (15/44: 34%) and Black (90/369: 24.4%) patient groups (χ² p < 0.0001 for all comparisons). The prevalence of classical sigmoid diverticulosis in the Bangladeshi cohort was only 1.0%, despite significantly more Bangladeshi patients undergoing colonoscopy for abdominal pain (p < 0.0001, χ²) and diarrhoea (p < 0.0034, χ²). There was also a significantly greater incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus and ischaemic heart disease (p < 0.0001, χ²) in Bangladeshi patients.

There is a negligible prevalence of colonic diverticulosis in the Bangladeshi population of London who undergo colonoscopy. This is in spite of a high incidence of type 2 diabetes and ischaemic heart disease. The effect of diet and genetics on the prevalence of colonic diverticulosis in Bangladeshis is not known and merits further investigation.

Because of their many advantages, faecal immunochemical tests (FIT) are superseding traditional guaiac-based faecal occult blood tests in bowel screening programmes.

A quantitative FIT was adopted for use in two evaluation National Health Service (NHS) Boards in Scotland using a cut-off faecal haemoglobin concentration chosen to give a positivity rate equivalent to that achieved in the Scottish Bowel Screening Programme. Uptake and clinical outcomes were compared with results obtained contemporaneously in two other similar NHS Boards and before and after the evaluation in the two evaluation NHS Boards.

During the evaluation, uptake was 58.5%. This was higher than in the same NHS Boards both before and after the evaluation, higher than in the other two NHS Boards and higher than the 53.7% achieved overall in Scotland. The overall positivity rate was higher in men than in women and increased with age in both genders. Positive predictive values for cancer (4.8%), high-risk adenoma (23.3%), all adenoma (38.2%) and all neoplasia (43.0%) in the two test NHS Boards were similar in all groups.

In summary, this evaluation of the FIT supports the introduction of FIT as a first-line test, even when colonoscopy capacity is limited.