Colorectal Neoplasia Screening w Colonoscopy in Asymptomatic Women at Regional Navy/Army Medical Ctrs: The CONCeRN Trial

Study Summary

The CONCeRN Trial is a multi-center study of asymptomatic women between the ages of 40 and 75 referred to regional military medical centers for routine colorectal screening. The primary purpose of the main study is to determine the extent to which advanced neoplastic lesions will be missed if clinicians only perform sigmoidoscopies rather than full colonoscopies as a screening procedure and to resolve current debate about the significance of sigmoidoscopic detection of single, small, tubular adenomas (i.e., do they imply greater risk for large adenomatous polyps or colorectal cancer at other sites beyond the reach of the sigmoidoscope, or is there no increased risk?). Women enrolled in the trial receive colonoscopy during which all identified polyps are removed and also during which two pinch biopsies of apparently-normal tissue are taken. In addition, before the colonoscopy is performed, patients wil have blood drawn and answer a brief questionnaire on risk factors for colorectal cancer. The sub-study proposes to add on a more extensive questionnaire to assess dietary and other lifesyle factors potentially related to colorectal cancer, and to draw additional blood for assessment of nutritional status and for analysis of genetic polymorphisms related to colorectal cancer. With the additional information available from these questionnaires and blood samples, it will be possible to explore the extent to which various dietary and genetic risk factors are related to colorectal polyps in asymptomatic women of average risk for disease.