Right Sided Colon Polyp Miss Rate: Impact Of Retroflexion In The Right Colon

The Washington University

Status: Unknown

Conditions: Colon Polyps; Colon Cancer Screening

Treatments: Procedure: Retroflexion in the right colon

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT01704820

Retro-View

Details and patient eligibility

About

Colonoscopy is the gold standard screening test for colorectal cancer. Removal of pre-malignant colon polyps during colonoscopy reduces colorectal cancer mortality by over 50%. However, while colonoscopy is highly effective at preventing distal (left sided) colon cancers, it provides only limited protection from cancer in the proximal (right side) colon. Our goal is to determine if additional pre-cancerous colon polyps can be identified by looking at the right side of the colon in retroflexion. During retroflexion the tip of the colonoscope is turned 180 degrees; allowing the doctor to view the backs of colonic folds. If additional polyps can be identified in this manner colonoscopy will become a more efficient method of screening for colon cancer.

In order to evaluate how effective right colon retroflexion is at detecting polyps in the proximal colon we plan on performing a randomized, controlled trial. Patients undergoing screening or follow up colonoscopy will be invited to participate in the study. Those patients who agree to participate will be randomized into one of two groups once the colonoscope is fully inserted. Group one will have the right side of their colon examined for polyps with the endoscope looking forward (traditional form of examination) followed by repeat examination of the right side of the colon with the colonosocpe in retroflexion (looking backwards). Polyps seen during each section of the exam will be removed and manner in which the polyps were found/ removed will be recorded. Following the two exams of the right side of the colon the colonoscopy will be completed in the usual manner. The duration of each portion of colonoscopy will be recorded. After the procedure is completed the physician performing the colonoscopy will rate difficulty of the procedure and confidence with quality of the examination. Pathology results for each polyp will be recorded once available. There will be no study related follow up after the pathology results are recorded.

Enrollment: 1,020 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• • Patients >18 years of age undergoing colonoscopy for colorectal cancer screening or routine polyp surveillance

Exclusion criteria

• • Failure to intubate the cecum during colonoscope insertion

  • Prior right colon resection
  • Known polyposis syndrome or polyposis identified at colonoscopy
  • Inflammatory bowel disease
  • Preparation of the colon is judged fair or poor using Boston Bowel Preparation Scale.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Screening

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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1,020 participants in 2 patient groups, including a placebo group

Retroflexion arm

Experimental group

Description:

Retroflexion arm: retroflexion in the cecum or proximal ascending colon and slow withdrawal to the hepatic flexure with removal of all visible colon polyps

Treatment:

Procedure: Retroflexion in the right colon

Forward view arm

Placebo Comparator group

Description:

Colonoscope is slowly withdrawn from the proximal colon to the hepatic flexure and all visible colon polyps are removed.