STONY BROOK, N.Y., October 30, 2006 – In a study of 1,164 women screened at Stony Brook University Medical Center for colorectal cancer (CRC), smoking was determined to be a major risk factor for developing the disease. Lead researcher Joseph C. Anderson, M.D., Assistant Professor of Medicine and a gastroenterologist at SBUMC, presented the study findings at the 71st Annual Scientific Meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) in Las Vegas.
"Risk Factors for Colorectal Neoplasia in Women: Two Populations with Similar Results" compared asymptomatic women screened at SBUMC and 1,463 asymptomatic women screened elsewhere. The demographics of the two populations were different, but both studies identified smoking, a body mass index (BMI) of greater than 35, and family history as important factors associated with risk for colorectal neoplasia.
"Our data suggests that in addition to women with a family history of colorectal cancer, those who smoke or have a body mass index of greater than 35 should also be identified as high risk and perhaps be screened at an earlier age than average risk individuals,” said Dr. Anderson. “It’s important to recognize that two of the risk factors we identified, smoking and BMI are modifiable, thereby lifestyle changes in these women may help to prevent disease,” he explained.
At the meeting, Dr. Anderson received an ACG Colorectal Cancer Award for his “Risk Factors for Colorectal Neoplasia in Women.” The award sponsor, Olympus, a manufacturer of colonoscopes and other screening devices for colorectal cancer, considered Dr. Anderson’s study as one of the top investigative papers on colorectal cancer prevention presented during the conference.
According to Dr. Anderson, age and a family history of CRC are factors used to determine the point at which screening for CRC is appropriate. The average age of the women screened in the SBUMC study was 57.4 years. Most of the women were White (96.7%). Other averages for risk factors included BMI (27.6), smoking (40.3%), and family history of CRC (16.3%).
Dr. Anderson says that not only does his study of women screened for CRC suggest that smokers should be screened at an earlier age, but another study he presented at the meeting ("Are Smokers a High Risk Group?: Analysis of the Risk and Prevalence of Colorectal Neoplasia in a Screening Population Aged 40 to 50 Years”) also suggests earlier screening is important.
This study included 2,536 patients, both men and women. Of those age 40 to 50 years in the group (371 patients), smokers had a higher risk for significant colorectal neoplasia (SCRN) than those with low exposure to tobacco or those who never smoked. Smokers had more than double the incidence of SCRN than non-smokers in this age category, 12.2% versus 5.5%, respectively.
The team of investigators for both studies includes principal investigator Joseph C. Anderson, M.D., and co-investigators Zvi A. Alpern, M.D., Brendan J. Wiggins, M.D., Patricia M. Hubbard-Ells, A.N.P., and Carole M. Martin, A.N.P. All are physicians or nurses in the Department of Gastroentrology at SBUMC.
