Work

Effectiveness of the Korean National Cancer Screening Program in Reducing Colorectal Cancer Mortality

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Whether colorectal cancer (CRC) screening with a fecal immunochemical test (FIT) reduces mortality remains unclear. In South Korea, CRC screening with a FIT for individuals aged ≥ 50 years has been part of the Korean National Cancer Screening Program (KNCSP) since 2004. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the KNCSP in reducing CRC-specific mortality. METHODS: = 29,992) and their sociodemographic characteristics were matched to those of the selected controls. The effects of screening exposure, frequency, and time interval on CRC-specific mortality were analyzed according to age group. Conditional logistic regression analysis was performed. RESULTS: Compared with individuals who had never been screened, those who had ever been screened showed an OR of 0.74 (95% CI, 0.71-0.76) for CRC-specific mortality. CRC-specific mortality decreased as the number of screenings increased. Similar results were observed for those aged 50-79 years; however, the results for those aged 75-79 years were not statistically significant. Moreover, those aged ≥ 80 years had the opposite results. CONCLUSIONS: CRC mass screening using FIT is effective for individuals aged 50-74 years; therefore, this study suggests that countries considering introducing national CRC screening implement FIT for those within this age range.

Source: Cancers

DOI: 10.3390/cancers16244278

Authors: Hyeon Ji Lee, Kyeongmin Lee, Byung Chang Kim, Jae Kwan Jun, Kui Son Choi, Mina Suh

Institution: National Cancer Center

Language: English

Topic: Colorectal Cancer Screening and Detection

Subfield: Oncology

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,296