Occult gastrointestinal bleeding is defined as gastrointestinal bleeding that is not visible to the patient or physician, resulting in either a positive fecal occult blood test, or iron deficiency anemia with or without a positive fecal occult blood test. A stepwise evaluation will identify the cause of bleeding in the majority of patients. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) and colonoscopy will ...

BACKGROUND & AIMS Colonoscopy is the preferred screening test for colorectal neoplasia; the fecal occult blood test (FOBT) detects neoplasias with low levels of sensitivity. Computed tomographic colonography detects neoplasias with high levels of sensitivity but involves exposure to radiation. We investigated whether magnetic resonance colonography (MRC) can be used to screen for colorectal ade...

OBJECTIVE We examined the effect of Medicare's expansion of colorectal cancer (CRC) screening test reimbursement on racial/ethnic disparities in CRC screening. METHODS CRC screening was ascertained for Medicare beneficiaries (n = 30,893), aged 70 to 89, who had no history of any tumor and resided in 16 Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results regions of the United States from 1996 to 2005. ...

OBJECTIVE To determine family physician perspectives regarding the acceptability and effectiveness of 2 interventions-a targeted, mailed invitation for screening to patients, and family physician audit-feedback reports-and on the colorectal cancer (CRC) screening program generally. This information will be used to guide program strategies for increasing screening uptake. DESIGN Qualitative st...

BACKGROUND Colorectal cancer (CRC) rates among many American Indian populations are high. Screening by fecal occult blood test (FOBT) and endoscopy is effective for reducing CRC mortality, but little research has examined the extent of such screening in reservation populations. Further, nothing is known of how American Indians' cultural characteristics may be related to screening receipt. PAR...

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common cancer worldwide. The incidence and mortality rates of CRC are higher among lower socioeconomic status (SES) populations. We investigated the association between different indicators of SES and CRC screening rates in Korea. The eligible study population included males and females aged 50 to 74 years who participated in a nationwide cross-sectional survey (201...