TY - JOUR
T1 - Do no harm
T2 - No psychological harm from colorectal cancer screening
AU - Kirkøen, Benedicte
AU - Berstad, Paula
AU - Botteri, Edoardo
AU - Avitsland, Tone Lise
AU - Ossum, Alvilde Maria
AU - De Lange, Thomas
AU - Hoff, Geir
AU - Bernklev, Tomm
PY - 2016/3/1
Y1 - 2016/3/1
N2 - Background:Participation in cancer screening programmes might cause worries in the population outweighting the benefits of reduced mortality. The present study aimed to investigate possible psychological harm of participation in a colorectal cancer (CRC) screening pilot in Norway.Methods:In a prospective, randomised trial participants (aged 50-74 years) were invited to either flexible sigmoidoscopy (FS) screening, faecal immunochemical test (FIT), or no screening (the control group; 1: 1: 1). Three thousand two hundred and thirteen screening participants (42% of screened individuals) completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale questionnaire as well as the SF-12 - a health-related quality of life (HRQOL) questionnaire when invited to screening and when receiving the screening result. A control group was invited to complete the questionnaires only. Two thousand six hundred and eighteen control participants (35% of invited individuals) completed the questionnaire.Results:A positive screening result did not increase participants' level of anxiety or depression, or decrease participants' level of HRQOL. Participants who received a negative result reported decreased anxiety and improvement on some HRQOL dimensions. However, no change was considered to be of clinical relevance.Conclusion:The current study showed no clinically relevant psychological harm of receiving a positive CRC screening result or of participating in FS or FIT screening, in a Norwegian population.
AB - Background:Participation in cancer screening programmes might cause worries in the population outweighting the benefits of reduced mortality. The present study aimed to investigate possible psychological harm of participation in a colorectal cancer (CRC) screening pilot in Norway.Methods:In a prospective, randomised trial participants (aged 50-74 years) were invited to either flexible sigmoidoscopy (FS) screening, faecal immunochemical test (FIT), or no screening (the control group; 1: 1: 1). Three thousand two hundred and thirteen screening participants (42% of screened individuals) completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale questionnaire as well as the SF-12 - a health-related quality of life (HRQOL) questionnaire when invited to screening and when receiving the screening result. A control group was invited to complete the questionnaires only. Two thousand six hundred and eighteen control participants (35% of invited individuals) completed the questionnaire.Results:A positive screening result did not increase participants' level of anxiety or depression, or decrease participants' level of HRQOL. Participants who received a negative result reported decreased anxiety and improvement on some HRQOL dimensions. However, no change was considered to be of clinical relevance.Conclusion:The current study showed no clinically relevant psychological harm of receiving a positive CRC screening result or of participating in FS or FIT screening, in a Norwegian population.
KW - Anxiety
KW - Colorectal Cancer Screening
KW - Faecal Immunochemical Test
KW - Flexible Sigmoidoscopy
KW - Health-Related Quality of Life
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U2 - 10.1038/bjc.2016.14
DO - 10.1038/bjc.2016.14
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84959365128
VL - 114
SP - 497
EP - 504
JO - British Journal of Cancer
JF - British Journal of Cancer
SN - 0007-0920
IS - 5
ER -