The clinical burden of colorectal cancer (CRC) is high. Population-based screening and early detection are essential to improve the long-term clinical outcome. Nonetheless, a significant proportion of patients still present at an advanced stage, including with acute large bowel obstruction. Image-enhanced endoscopy and artificial intelligence can improve the detection and diagnosis of colonic adenomas and early cancer. Endoscopic resection is regarded as the preferred curative treatment option for colonic adenoma and T0 and T1 CRC limited to the superficial submucosa. Emergency colonic stenting as bridge to interval curative surgery is increasingly accepted as a first-line option when technically feasible. Minimally invasive resection techniques such as laparoscopic colectomy and robot-assisted colorectal surgery have also come of age. These techniques reduce post-treatment morbidity, shorten the recovery process and can be cost-effective while maintaining long-term oncological cure. These outcome measures are relevant to our patients; therefore, minimally invasive approaches to curative resection should be embraced.
Humans ; Colorectal Neoplasms/surgery* ; Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures/methods* ; Laparoscopy/methods* ; Colectomy/methods* ; Robotic Surgical Procedures/methods* ; Treatment Outcome ; Colonoscopy/methods*

BACKGROUND: Over 20 million colonoscopies are performed in China annually. An automatic clinical decision support system (CDSS) with accurate semantic recognition of colonoscopy reports and guideline-based is helpful to relieve the increasing medical burden and standardize the healthcare. In this study, the CDSS was built under a hierarchical-label interpretable classification framework, trained by a state-of-the-art transformer-based model, and validated in a multi-center style. METHODS: We conducted stratified sampling on a previously established dataset containing 302,965 electronic colonoscopy reports with pathology, identified 2041 patients' records representative of overall features, and randomly divided into the training and testing sets (7:3). A total of five main labels and 22 sublabels were applied to annotate each record on a network platform, and the data were trained respectively by three pre-training models on Chinese corpus website, including bidirectional encoder representations from transformers (BERT)-base-Chinese (BC), the BERT-wwm-ext-Chinese (BWEC), and ernie-3.0-base-zh (E3BZ). The performance of trained models was subsequently compared with a randomly initialized model, and the preferred model was selected. Model fine-tuning was applied to further enhance the capacity. The system was validated in five other hospitals with 3177 consecutive colonoscopy cases. RESULTS: The E3BZ pre-trained model exhibited the best performance, with a 90.18% accuracy and a 69.14% Macro-F1 score overall. The model achieved 100% accuracy in identifying cancer cases and 99.16% for normal cases. In external validation, the model exhibited favorable consistency and good performance among five hospitals. CONCLUSIONS The novel CDSS possesses high-level semantic recognition of colonoscopy reports, provides appropriate recommendations, and holds the potential to be a powerful tool for physicians and patients. The hierarchical multi-label strategy and pre-training method should be amendable to manage more medical text in the future.
Humans ; Colonoscopy/methods* ; Deep Learning ; Decision Support Systems, Clinical ; Female ; Male

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the underlying causes and clinical manifestations in infants undergoing colonoscopy, and to analyze changes in disease spectrum. METHODS: Clinical data from 180 infants who underwent a total of 184 colonoscopies at the Department of Gastroenterology, Children's Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University from January 2015 to December 2024 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were grouped by age: ≤6 months (n=41) and >6-12 months (n=139); and by examination period: 2015-2019 (n=83) and 2020-2024 (n=97). Primary causes for performing colonoscopy, final diagnoses, and disease spectrum evolution were assessed. RESULTS: Among 184 colonoscopies, the leading causes prompting examination were hematochezia (37.8%, 68/180), diarrhea (36.7%, 66/180), and co-occurring hematochezia and diarrhea (21.1%, 38/180). Causes for performing colonoscopy differed significantly by age group (P<0.05). Colonic polyps were only detected in the >6-12 months group (P<0.05). Compared to the 2015-2019 group, the 2020-2024 group had fewer food allergy-related gastrointestinal diseases (P<0.05) but more colitis (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Colonoscopy is essential for diagnosing infantile digestive disorders, with disease spectra varying by age and time period.
Humans ; Infant ; Colonoscopy ; Male ; Female ; Retrospective Studies ; Infant, Newborn ; Diarrhea/etiology* ; Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage/etiology*

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer and the fourth leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide. Likewise in the Philippines, the prevalence of CRC has shown to be increasing. Colonoscopy, a screening procedure for CRC, has parameters to gauge quality of detection. One of which is the Adenoma Detection Rate (ADR). Higher ADR has been linked to improved cancer detection. This study aimed to determine the ADR and Polyp Detection Rate (PDR) among Gastroenterology practitioners in a tertiary government university hospital in the Philippines, estimate ADR from PDR, and identify factors associated with ADR.

An analytical, cross-sectional study among patients who underwent colonoscopy for the years 2021 and the first half of 2022 at the Central Endoscopy Unit (CENDU) of the Philippine General Hospital. Demographic data of fellows and consultants were collected through an online form, while those from patients were obtained from electronic records. Colonoscopy details and histopathology results were accessed through the hospital’s Open Medical Record System (MRS). ADR, PDR, and estimated ADR were computed using established formulas. To evaluate the strength of the relationship between the estimated and actual ADR, Pearson’s correlation coefficient was used. Chi-square analysis, Mann-Whitney U test, and Kruskal-Wallis H test were performed to identify the factors that might influence the ADR. A cut-off of p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

The total computed ADR of consultants and fellows combined is 22%. The difference between the ADRs of Gastroenterology consultants and Fellows-in-Training is statistically significant at 31.6% and 18.7%, respectively (p= 0.017). The total Polyp Detection Rate is 57.6% while the weighted group average Adenoma to Polyp Detection Rate Quotient (APDRQ) is 0.4085 or 40.85%. The estimated ADR has a moderate degree of correlation with the actual ADR when an outlier was excluded (r=0.521 (95% CI, 0.072-0.795, p=0.0266). Significant factors related to ADR include endoscopists’ years of practice (p=0.020), number of colonoscopies done (p=0.031), and patient tobacco use (p=0.014).

The overall ADR among consultants and fellows is at par with the standard guidelines. A moderate degree of correlation exists between actual and estimated ADR when an outlier is excluded; however, more studies are needed to determine the APDRQ in the wider local setting. Longer years in practice, total number of colonoscopies performed, and patient tobacco use are associated with increased ADR.

Background and Objective: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer and the fourth leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide. Likewise in the Philippines, the prevalence of CRC has shown to be increasing. Colonoscopy, a screening procedure for CRC, has parameters to gauge quality of detection. One of which is the Adenoma Detection Rate (ADR). Higher ADR has been linked to improved cancer detection. This study aimed to determine the ADR and Polyp Detection Rate (PDR) among Gastroenterology practitioners in a tertiary government university hospital in the Philippines, estimate ADR from PDR, and identify factors associated with ADR. Methods: An analytical, cross-sectional study among patients who underwent colonoscopy for the years 2021 and the first half of 2022 at the Central Endoscopy Unit (CENDU) of the Philippine General Hospital. Demographic data of fellows and consultants were collected through an online form, while those from patients were obtained from electronic records. Colonoscopy details and histopathology results were accessed through the hospital’s Open Medical Record System (MRS). ADR, PDR, and estimated ADR were computed using established formulas. To evaluate the strength of the relationship between the estimated and actual ADR, Pearson’s correlation coefficient was used. Chi-square analysis, Mann-Whitney U test, and Kruskal-Wallis H test were performed to identify the factors that might influence the ADR. A cut-off of p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The total computed ADR of consultants and fellows combined is 22%. The difference between the ADRs of Gastroenterology consultants and Fellows-in-Training is statistically significant at 31.6% and 18.7%, respectively (p= 0.017). The total Polyp Detection Rate is 57.6% while the weighted group average Adenoma to Polyp Detection Rate Quotient (APDRQ) is 0.4085 or 40.85%. The estimated ADR has a moderate degree of correlation with the actual ADR when an outlier was excluded (r=0.521 (95% CI, 0.072-0.795, p=0.0266). Significant factors related to ADR include endoscopists’ years of practice (p=0.020), number of colonoscopies done (p=0.031), and patient tobacco use (p=0.014). Conclusion The overall ADR among consultants and fellows is at par with the standard guidelines. A moderate degree of correlation exists between actual and estimated ADR when an outlier is excluded; however, more studies are needed to determine the APDRQ in the wider local setting. Longer years in practice, total number of colonoscopies performed, and patient tobacco use are associated with increased ADR.
Adenoma ; Colonic Polyps ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; Colonoscopy

Screening and early diagnosis and treatment have been proven effective in reducing the incidence and mortality of colorectal cancer. Colonoscopy combined with pathological examination is the gold standard for colorectal cancer screening. However, due to the invasiveness, high cost and the need for professional endoscopists of colonoscopy, it is not feasible to directly use this method for mass population screening. Fecal immunochemical test (FIT) is one of the screening techniques recommended by authoritative international guidelines for colorectal cancer screening, and has been widely used in population-based colorectal cancer screening programs in countries around the world. This paper elaborates on the value of FIT in colorectal cancer screening from different aspects, such as the technical principles, the screening efficiency, the screening strategies, and the population effects and benefits. Additionally, it describes the current situation of colorectal cancer screening in China and summarizes the challenges faced in colorectal cancer screening in order to optimize the FIT-based colorectal cancer screening strategies in the population and provide theoretical reference for effective colorectal cancer screening.
Humans ; Early Detection of Cancer/methods* ; Colonoscopy ; Mass Screening ; Colorectal Neoplasms/pathology* ; Occult Blood

Objective: To evaluate the participation rate and detection of colorectal neoplasms based on annual fecal immunochemical testing (FIT) for three consecutive years in a population-based colorectal cancer screening program in China. Methods: Based on a population-based colorectal cancer screening program conducted from May 2018 to May 2021 in 6 centers in China, 7 793 eligible participants aged 50-74 were included and offered free FIT and colonoscopy (for those who were FIT-positive on initial screening). At baseline, all participants were invited to receive FIT. In subsequent screening rounds, only FIT-positive participants who did not undergo colonoscopy or FIT-negative participants were invited to have repeated FIT screening. FIT-positive participants were recommended to undertake colonoscopy and pathological examination (if abnormalities were found during colonoscopy). An overall of three rounds of annual FIT screening were conducted. The primary outcomes of the study were the participation rate of FIT screening, the compliance rate of colonoscopy for FIT-positive participants, and the detection rate of colorectal neoplasms. Results: Among the 7 793 participants included in this study, 3 310 (42.5%) were male, with age of (60.50±6.49) years. The overall participation rates for the first, second and third round of FIT screening were 94.0%(7 327/7 793), 86.8% (6 048/6 968) and 91.3% (6 113/6 693), respectively. Overall, 7 742 out of 7 793 participants (99.3%) attended at least one round of screening, and 5 163 out of 7 793 participants (66.3%) attended all three rounds of screening. The positivity rate was significantly higher in the first (14.6%, 1 071/7 327) round compared with the second (5.6%, 3 41/6 048) and third (5.5%, 3 39/6 113) screening rounds (P<0.001). The overall compliance rates of colonoscopy examination among FIT-positive subjects were over 70% in three rounds, which were 76.3% (817/1 071), 75.7% (258/341) and 71.7% (243/339), respectively. In a multivariate logistic regression model considering factors including sex, education background, smoking, alcohol drinking, previous colonoscopy examination, colonic polyp history and family history of colorectal cancer among first-degree relatives, gender and smoking status were related factors affecting the participation rate of FIT screening, with higher rate in males and non-smokers. In addition, logistic regression analysis also found that age was negatively correlated with the compliance rate of colonoscopy in FIT positive patients. The detection rate of advanced tumors (colorectal cancer + advanced adenoma) declined from the first round to subsequent rounds [1st round: 1.15% (90/7 793); 2nd round: 0.57% (40/6 968); and 3rd round: 0.58% (39/6 693)], however, the positive predictive value for advanced neoplasms increased round by round, and was 11.02% in the first screening round, 15.50% in the second screening round, and 16.05 % in the third screening round. In each screening round, the detection rate for advanced neoplasms was higher in men than that in women, and increased with age. Conclusions: Annual repeated FIT screening has high acceptance and satisfying detection rates in the Chinese population. To optimize and improve the effectiveness of colorectal cancer screening, multi-round repeated FIT screening should be implemented while ensuring high participation rates.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Early Detection of Cancer ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Colonoscopy ; Mass Screening ; Adenoma/diagnosis* ; Colorectal Neoplasms/pathology*

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic inflammatory disease affecting the gastrointestinal tract, with a global incidence increasing year by year, and the incidence of IBD in developing countries has been increasing since the end of the last century. The pathogenesis of IBD remains unclear, which is the combined result of genetic, immune, diet, environmental and other factors. There is no gold standard for the diagnosis of IBD. Colonoscopy and mucosal biopsy are the preferred clinical tests, but these invasive and time-consuming methods are not conducive to early screening and frequent monitoring. Therefore, convenient, fast, non-invasive and reliable methods are urgently needed to assist the clinical diagnosis and evaluation of IBD. This paper aims to elaborate the laboratory diagnosis and monitoring methods of IBD based on fecal and blood indicators, which can provide ideas for the prevention, screening, diagnosis and monitoring of IBD, and help reduce its burden on people's living standards, public health and society.
Humans ; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases/pathology* ; Colonoscopy ; Diet ; Feces

Screening and early diagnosis and treatment have been proven effective in reducing the incidence and mortality of colorectal cancer. Colonoscopy combined with pathological examination is the gold standard for colorectal cancer screening. However, due to the invasiveness, high cost and the need for professional endoscopists of colonoscopy, it is not feasible to directly use this method for mass population screening. Fecal immunochemical test (FIT) is one of the screening techniques recommended by authoritative international guidelines for colorectal cancer screening, and has been widely used in population-based colorectal cancer screening programs in countries around the world. This paper elaborates on the value of FIT in colorectal cancer screening from different aspects, such as the technical principles, the screening efficiency, the screening strategies, and the population effects and benefits. Additionally, it describes the current situation of colorectal cancer screening in China and summarizes the challenges faced in colorectal cancer screening in order to optimize the FIT-based colorectal cancer screening strategies in the population and provide theoretical reference for effective colorectal cancer screening.
Humans ; Early Detection of Cancer/methods* ; Colonoscopy ; Mass Screening ; Colorectal Neoplasms/pathology* ; Occult Blood

Objective: To evaluate the participation rate and detection of colorectal neoplasms based on annual fecal immunochemical testing (FIT) for three consecutive years in a population-based colorectal cancer screening program in China. Methods: Based on a population-based colorectal cancer screening program conducted from May 2018 to May 2021 in 6 centers in China, 7 793 eligible participants aged 50-74 were included and offered free FIT and colonoscopy (for those who were FIT-positive on initial screening). At baseline, all participants were invited to receive FIT. In subsequent screening rounds, only FIT-positive participants who did not undergo colonoscopy or FIT-negative participants were invited to have repeated FIT screening. FIT-positive participants were recommended to undertake colonoscopy and pathological examination (if abnormalities were found during colonoscopy). An overall of three rounds of annual FIT screening were conducted. The primary outcomes of the study were the participation rate of FIT screening, the compliance rate of colonoscopy for FIT-positive participants, and the detection rate of colorectal neoplasms. Results: Among the 7 793 participants included in this study, 3 310 (42.5%) were male, with age of (60.50±6.49) years. The overall participation rates for the first, second and third round of FIT screening were 94.0%(7 327/7 793), 86.8% (6 048/6 968) and 91.3% (6 113/6 693), respectively. Overall, 7 742 out of 7 793 participants (99.3%) attended at least one round of screening, and 5 163 out of 7 793 participants (66.3%) attended all three rounds of screening. The positivity rate was significantly higher in the first (14.6%, 1 071/7 327) round compared with the second (5.6%, 3 41/6 048) and third (5.5%, 3 39/6 113) screening rounds (P<0.001). The overall compliance rates of colonoscopy examination among FIT-positive subjects were over 70% in three rounds, which were 76.3% (817/1 071), 75.7% (258/341) and 71.7% (243/339), respectively. In a multivariate logistic regression model considering factors including sex, education background, smoking, alcohol drinking, previous colonoscopy examination, colonic polyp history and family history of colorectal cancer among first-degree relatives, gender and smoking status were related factors affecting the participation rate of FIT screening, with higher rate in males and non-smokers. In addition, logistic regression analysis also found that age was negatively correlated with the compliance rate of colonoscopy in FIT positive patients. The detection rate of advanced tumors (colorectal cancer + advanced adenoma) declined from the first round to subsequent rounds [1st round: 1.15% (90/7 793); 2nd round: 0.57% (40/6 968); and 3rd round: 0.58% (39/6 693)], however, the positive predictive value for advanced neoplasms increased round by round, and was 11.02% in the first screening round, 15.50% in the second screening round, and 16.05 % in the third screening round. In each screening round, the detection rate for advanced neoplasms was higher in men than that in women, and increased with age. Conclusions: Annual repeated FIT screening has high acceptance and satisfying detection rates in the Chinese population. To optimize and improve the effectiveness of colorectal cancer screening, multi-round repeated FIT screening should be implemented while ensuring high participation rates.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Early Detection of Cancer ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Colonoscopy ; Mass Screening ; Adenoma/diagnosis* ; Colorectal Neoplasms/pathology*