Talk to the Veterans Crisis Line now
U.S. flag
An official website of the United States government

VA Health Systems Research

Go to the VA ORD website
Go to the QUERI website

HSR&D Citation Abstract

Search | Search by Center | Search by Source | Keywords in Title

The yield and cost of colonoscopy in patients with metastatic cancer of unknown primary.

Saliminejad M, Bemanian S, Ho A, Spiegel B, Laine L. The yield and cost of colonoscopy in patients with metastatic cancer of unknown primary. Alimentary pharmacology & therapeutics. 2013 Sep 1; 38(6):628-33.

Dimensions for VA is a web-based tool available to VA staff that enables detailed searches of published research and research projects.

If you have VA-Intranet access, click here for more information vaww.hsrd.research.va.gov/dimensions/

VA staff not currently on the VA network can access Dimensions by registering for an account using their VA email address.
   Search Dimensions for VA for this citation
* Don't have VA-internal network access or a VA email address? Try searching the free-to-the-public version of Dimensions



Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Although gastroenterologists are asked to perform colonoscopy in patients with metastatic cancer of unknown primary (MCUP), studies evaluating this practice are lacking. AIM: To determine the yield and cost of colonoscopy in patients referred for colonoscopy with an indication of MCUP. METHODS: We prospectively and retrospectively assessed colonoscopies performed from 2000 to 2011 at a county, a university, and a Veterans Administration medical centre to identify patients referred for colonoscopy for the indication of MCUP. Exclusion criteria included overt or occult bleeding, iron-deficiency anaemia, familial-colon-cancer syndrome, prior colon cancer, imaging suggesting colorectal lesion, and palpable rectal mass. Outcomes were the number of primary colon cancers and costs based on 2012 Medicare reimbursements. RESULTS: Two (1%) of the 160 patients meeting enrollment criteria had a primary colon cancer identified, and both died within 1 month after diagnosis without receiving therapy targeted at colon cancer. One patient without colon cancer had a perforation because of colonoscopy, which required surgery and colostomy. The cost of a strategy of routinely performing colonoscopy in patients referred with MCUP was $84 736 per colon primary identified. CONCLUSIONS: Primary colon cancer was rarely identified at colonoscopy in patients with MCUP and no standard indications for diagnostic colonoscopy. Furthermore, the cost to diagnose one additional colon primary was very high. Those with colon cancer had advanced disease and were unable to benefit from targeted therapy. Routine colonoscopy for MCUP cannot be recommended at present.





Questions about the HSR website? Email the Web Team

Any health information on this website is strictly for informational purposes and is not intended as medical advice. It should not be used to diagnose or treat any condition.