Primary-care doctors do colonoscopies well -study

By Will Dunham

WASHINGTON, Jan 12 (Reuters) - Primary-care doctors perform colonoscopies just as well as specialists, a finding that could help meet the rising need for this important colorectal cancer screening test, U.S. researchers said on Monday.

As populations in the United States and other nations age, the number of people who could benefit from a colonoscopy is outpacing the number of specialists such as gastroenterologists who typically do it, the researchers said.

Dr. Thad Wilkins of the Medical College of Georgia and colleagues examined 12 studies published from 1992 to 2006 to assess the quality of colonoscopies performed by primary-care doctors, mostly family medicine doctors and internists, who are more numerous than the specialists.

Based on measures such as the frequency of complications, the amount of the colon examined and rates of detecting cancer and precancerous growths, they found that these colonoscopies were as safe and effective as those done by specialists.

Among other things, Wilkins found a very low complication rate among colonoscopies by primary-care doctors.

The findings suggest that primary-care physicians who are trained in colonoscopy help expand access to colonoscopies, particularly in rural and sparsely populated areas where specialists may be scarce, the researchers said.

A colonoscopy is used to look for signs of cancer in the colon and rectum. A doctor inserts a long, flexible, lighted tube into the rectum and guides it into the colon, checking for abnormalities.

During the procedure, the doctor may remove precancerous growths, preventing the development of cancer, and take tissue samples. The procedure can detect colorectal cancer at early stages when it responds best to treatment.