Endoscopy 2016; 48(01): 75-80
DOI: 10.1055/s-0034-1393094
Evidence in perspective
© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Do’s and don’ts in evaluation of endoscopic screening for gastrointestinal cancers

Michael Bretthauer
1   Department of Health Management and Health Economy, Institute of Health and Society, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
2   Department of Transplantation Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
3   Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Community, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
,
Mette Kalager
1   Department of Health Management and Health Economy, Institute of Health and Society, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
4   Department of Research, Telemark Hospital, Skien, Norway
,
Hans-Olov Adami
1   Department of Health Management and Health Economy, Institute of Health and Society, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
3   Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Community, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
5   Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

Publication Date:
18 September 2015 (online)

Endoscopic screening for cancers of the esophagus, stomach, and colon has been introduced in many countries of the world. Endoscopic screening has the potential to reduce incidence and mortality of the target diseases, but may also be harmful and have unwanted side effects. Precise estimates of the magnitude of benefits and harms of endoscopic screening for cancer are a prerequisite for informed decision making for or against participation in screening for individuals in the target population. This paper outlines the most common pitfalls in the evaluation of screening and offers some recommendations for future studies.

 
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