Effect of second timed appointments for non-attenders of breast cancer screening in England: a randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: In England, participation in breast cancer screening has been decreasing in the past 10 years, approaching the national minimum standard of 70%. Interventions aimed at improving participation need to be investigated and put into practice to stop this downward trend. We assessed the effect on participation of sending invitations for breast screening with a timed appointment to women who did not attend their first offered appointment within the NHS Breast Screening Programme (NHSBSP). METHODS: In this open, randomised controlled trial, women in six centres in the NHSBSP in England who were invited for routine breast cancer screening were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive an invitation to a second appointment with fixed date and time (intervention) or an invitation letter with a telephone number to call to book their new screening appointment (control) in the event of non-attendance at the first offered appointment. Randomisation was by SX number, a sequential unique identifier of each woman within the NHSBSP, and at the beginning of the study a coin toss decided whether women with odd or even SX numbers would be allocated to the intervention group. Women aged 50-70 years who did not attend their first offered appointment were eligible for the analysis. The primary endpoint was participation (ie, attendance at breast cancer screening) within 90 days of the date of the first offered appointment; we used Poisson regression to compare the proportion of women who participated in screening in the study groups. All analyses were by intention to treat. This trial is registered with Barts Health, number 009304QM. FINDINGS: We obtained 33 146 records of women invited for breast cancer screening at the six centres between June 2, 2014, and Sept 30, 2015, who did not attend their first offered appointment. 26 054 women were eligible for this analysis (12 807 in the intervention group and 13 247 in the control group). Participation within 90 days of the first offered appointment was significantly higher in the intervention group (2861 [22%] of 12 807) than in the control group (1632 [12%] of 13 247); relative risk of participation 1·81 (95% CI 1·70-1·93; p<0·0001). INTERPRETATION: These findings show that a policy of second appointments with fixed date and time for non-attenders of breast screening is effective in improving participation. This strategy can be easily implemented by the screening sites and, if combined with simple interventions, could further increase participation and ensure an upward shift in the participation trend nationally. Whether the policy should vary by time since last attended screen will have to be considered. FUNDING: National Health Service Cancer Screening Programmes and Department of Health Policy Research Programme.

A pathologist's survey on the reporting of sessile serrated adenomas/polyps.

AIM: The purpose of this survey was to ascertain reporting habits of pathologists towards sessile serrated adenomas/polyps (SSA/P). METHODS: A questionnaire designed to highlight diagnostic criteria, approach and clinical implications of SSA/P was circulated electronically to 45 pathologists in the UK and North America. RESULTS: Forty-three of 45 pathologists agreed to participate. The vast majority (88%) had a special interest in gastrointestinal (GI) pathology, had great exposure to GI polyps in general with 40% diagnosing SSA/P at least once a week if not more, abnormal architecture was thought by all participants to be histologically diagnostic, and 11% would make the diagnosis if a single diagnostic histological feature was present in one crypt only, while a further 19% would diagnose SSA/P in one crypt if more than one diagnostic feature was present. The vast majority agreed that deeper sections were useful and 88% did not feel proliferation markers were useful. More than one-third did not know whether, or did not feel that, their clinicians were aware of the implications of SSA/P. CONCLUSIONS: 98% of pathologists surveyed are aware that SSA/P is a precursor lesion to colorectal cancer, the majority agree on diagnostic criteria, and a significant number feel that there needs to be greater communication and awareness among pathologists and gastroenterologists about SSA/P.

Reconstruction of the perineum following anorectal cancer excision.

PURPOSE: Most patients with anal cancer receive chemoradiotherapy as first-line treatment. Persistent/recurrent tumours will subsequently require an abdomino-perineal resection (APR). A proportion of the 20,000 new cases of rectal carcinoma diagnosed in the UK each year receive neo-adjuvant chemoradiation and then an APR. Healing of the irradiated perineal bed is compromised, resulting in high morbidity. Reconstruction of the perineam with well-vasularised tissue is thought to enhance healing. This study investigates a series of 18 patients who underwent APR for anorectal cancer with flap reconstruction of their perineum. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis of all anorectal cancers requiring an APR and flap reconstruction was performed. Casenotes were reviewed and documentation made of risk factors putting them at increased risk of wound complications. Length of stay, morbidity and outcome variables including primary flap healing were recorded. RESULTS: Between November 2000 and October 2007, 18 cases were performed (M/F = 7:11), six for anal cancer and 12 for low rectal tumours. Pre-operative treatment was chemoradiotherapy in 14 (78%), radiotherapy alone in two (11%) and none in two (11%). Perineal reconstruction consisted of 14 vertical rectus abdominis myocutaneous flaps, three free latissimus dorsi flap and one transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous flap. Mean hospital stay was 21.8 days (10-54 days). Complete healing was noted in 16 cases with the remaining two continuing to improve under current follow-up. There were no flap losses. CONCLUSIONS: Despite most patients being treated with pre-operative radiotherapy, we have had significant success in obtaining primary healing of the perineal defect after APR.

Can magnetic resonance imaging predict circumferential margins and TNM stage in rectal cancer?

INTRODUCTION: This study was designed to assess whether preoperative magnetic resonance imaging scans were able to predict 1) pathologic tumor and node stage, and 2) those patients with a pathologically clear circumferential resection margin. METHODS: Patients with histologically proven carcinoma of the rectum were staged preoperatively using magnetic resonance imaging. Histologic specimens from patients undergoing mesorectal excision were reported according to the Royal College of Pathologists minimum dataset. Agreement between radiologic staging of tumor, local lymph nodes and circumferential resection margin involvement, and pathologic reporting was assessed by means of the Kappa statistic. RESULTS: After exclusions (10 radiotherapy, 3 failed scans, 10 no surgery, 9 local surgery), 40 patients remained. Magnetic resonance imaging correctly staged the tumor in 20 patients, understaged in 12, and overstaged in 8. Statistically, there was poor correlation between pathologic and radiologic tumor staging (Kappa, 0.18; 95 percent confidence interval, -0.13 to 0.42). Magnetic resonance imaging correctly staged node status in 27 patients, overstaged in 9, and understaged in 4. Statistically, there was poor correlation between pathologic and radiologic node staging (Kappa, 0.38; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.08-0.64). Magnetic resonance imaging correctly reported the status of the circumferential resection margin in 39 patients and understaged 1. Statistically, there was good correlation between pathologic and radiologic reporting of circumferential resection margin involvement (Kappa, 0.66; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.03-1). CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative magnetic resonance imaging scans provide poor predictive data as to subsequent pathologic tumor and node stage. Preoperative magnetic resonance imaging does produce reliable prediction of clear circumferential resection margins and provides valuable information in assessing whether patients can proceed to surgery without the need for preoperative radiotherapy.