Volume 84 - 2021 - Fasc.3 - Editorial
Essential reading from the editor’s desk
Colorectal cancer remains the third most prevalent
cancer in both females (after breast and lung cancer) and
males (after prostate and lung cancer) in Belgium with
incidence rates of 2809 and 2956 per 100,000 person
years respectively (1). Since 2009 and 2013 a colorectal
screening program was initiated in Wallonia and Flanders
respectively, currently both using immunochemical fecal
occult testing (2). In case of positive screening, a total
colonoscopy should follow to detect high-risk lesions.
Self-evidently, quality of the endoscopic procedure
is a key parameter for an effective screening program.
Widely accepted quality measures for screening
colonoscopy include cecal intubation rate, withdrawal
time, adenoma detection rate, quality of polyp resection
and bowel preparation (3,4). In this edition of Acta
Gastro-Enterologica Belgica Dikkanoglu et al. compared
the effect of bowel preparation explained by a secretary
(control) vs. a physician (intervention) in addition to
written instructions (5). Even if there were no differences
in adenoma detection rate in this series of 150 patients,
education by the physician resulted in significantly better
bowel preparation scores compared to the standard. This
study highlights the importance of proper instruction by
a member of staff who is experienced with the practical
aspects of bowel preparation, rather than a member of the
administrative staff.
