Abstract

LIRIO, Cátia  and  VARANDAS, José. The problem of interval cancers. Rev Port Med Geral Fam [online]. 2017, vol.33, n.6, pp.408-412. ISSN 2182-5173.

Introduction: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer and the fourth leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Interval cancers, i.e. cancers occurring between two consecutive scheduled screening tests, account for 2.8-4.9% of all sporadic CRC. Case report: 70-year-old woman, with a personal medical history of hypertension, dyslipidemia, stable angina and hyperuricemia. With no family history of cancer, the patient was enrolled in the CRC screening program for average risk patients, and was diagnosed with a rectal carcinoma (stage III), two years after a colonoscopy with no pathological findings. Review: Interval cancers are an important indicator of the quality and effectiveness of CRC screening programs. The etiology is multifactorial; however, four causes have been proposed: non-detected lesions, incomplete polypectomy, biopsy diagnostic errors, and new polyps with rapid progression. Although the screening substantially reduces the mortality due to CRC, it is important to recognize that it does not prevent the occurrence of interval cancers

Keywords : Colorectal cancer; Interval cancer.

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