Divergent long-term detection rates of proximal and distal advanced neoplasia in fecal immunochemical test screening programs: A retrospective cohort study

Background: Short-term studies have reported that the fecal immunochemical test (FIT) is less accurate in detecting proximal than distal colorectal neoplasia. Objective: To assess the long-term detection rates for advanced adenoma and colorectal cancer (CRC), according to anatomical location. Design: Retrospective study. Setting: Population-based, organized screening program in the Veneto region of Italy. Participants: Persons aged 50 to 69 years who completed 6 rounds of FIT screening. Measurements: At each screening round, the detection rates for advanced adenoma and cancer, as well as the proportional interval cancer rate (PICR), were calculated by anatomical location (proximal colon, distal colon, or rectum). Results: Between 2002 and 2014, a total of 123 347 participants had 441 647 FITs. The numbers of advanced adenomas and cancer cases detected, respectively, were 1704 and 200 in the proximal colon, 3703 and 324 in the distal colon, and 1220 and 209 in the rectum. Although the detection rate for proximal colon cancer declined only from the first to the second screening round (0.63 to 0.36 per 1000 screenees), the rate for both distal colon and rectal cancer steadily decreased across 6 rounds (distal colon, 1.65 in the first round to 0.17 in the sixth; rectum, 0.82 in the first round to 0.17 in the sixth). Similar trends were found for advanced adenoma (proximal colon, 5.32 in the first round to 4.22 in the sixth; distal colon, 15.2 in the first round to 5.02 in the sixth). Overall, 150 cases of interval cancer were diagnosed. The PICR was higher in the proximal colon (25.2% [95% CI, 19.9% to 31.5%]) than the distal colon (6.0% [CI, 3.9% to 8.9%]) or rectum (9.9% [CI, 6.9% to 13.7%]). Limitations: Participants with irregular attendance were censored. Those who had a false-positive result on a previous FIT but negative colonoscopy results were included in subsequent rounds. Conclusion: This FIT-based, multiple-round, long-term screening program had a negligible reduction in detection rates for neoplastic lesions in the proximal versus the distal colon after the first round. This was related to a higher PICR in the proximal colon and suboptimal efficacy in preventing the age-related proximal shifting of CRC. Primary Funding Source: None

Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer: Real-World Cost Consequence Analysis

Purpose: The present work aimed at conducting a real-world data analysis on the management costs and survival analysis comparing data from non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cases diagnosed in the Veneto region before (2015) and after (2017) the implementation of a regional diagnostic and therapeutic pathway including all new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. Method: This study considered 254 incidental cases of NSCLC in 2015 and 228 in 2017 within the territory of the Padua province (Italy), as recorded by the Veneto Cancer Registry. Tobit regression analysis was performed to verify if total and each item costs (2 years after NSCLC diagnosis) are associated with index year, adjusting by year of diagnosis, sex, age, and stage at diagnosis. Logistic regression models were run to study overall mortality at 2 years, adjusting by the same covariates. Results: The 2017 cohort had a lower mortality odd (odds ratio, 0.93; P = .02) and a significant increase in the average overall costs (P = .009) than the 2015 cohort. The Tobit regression analysis by cost item showed a very significant increase in the average cost of drugs (coefficient = 5,953, P = .008) for the 2017 cohort, as well as a decrease in the average cost of hospice care (coefficient = -1,822.6, P = .022). Conclusion: Our study showed a survival improvement for patients with NSCLC as well as an economic burden growth. Physicians should therefore be encouraged to follow new clinical care pathways, while the steadily rising related costs underscore the need for policymakers and health professionals to pursue

Changes in cervical cancer incidence following the introduction of organized screening in Italy

Objective: To quantify the impact of organized cervical screening programs (OCSPs) on the incidence of invasive cervical cancer (ICC), comparing rates before and after activation of OCSPs. Methods: This population-based investigation, using individual data from cancer registries and OCSPs, included 3557 women diagnosed with ICC at age 25-74. years in 1995-2008. The year of full-activation of each OCSP was defined as the year when at least 40% of target women had been invited. Incidence rate ratios (IRRs) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated as the ratios between age-standardized incidence rates observed in periods after full-activation of OCSPs vs those observed in the preceding quinquennium. Results: ICC incidence rates diminished with time since OCSPs full-activation: after 6-8. years, the IRR was 0.75 (95% CI: 0.67-0.85). The reduction was higher for stages IB-IV (IRR. =. 0.68, 95% CI: 0.58-0.80), squamous cell ICCs (IRR. =. 0.74, 95% CI: 0.64-0.84), and particularly evident among women aged 45-74. years. Conversely, incidence rates of micro-invasive (stage IA) ICCs increased, though not significantly, among women aged 25-44. years (IRR. =. 1.34, 95% CI: 0.91-1.96). Following full-activation of OCSPs, micro-invasive ICCs were mainly and increasingly diagnosed within OCSPs (up to 72%). Conclusion(s): Within few years from activation, organized screening positively impacted the already low ICC incidence in Italy and favored down-staging