Timely Diagnosis of Colorectal Cancer

Louise OlssonAssociate Professor of Surgery at Karolinska Institutet.Consultant colorectal surgeonClinical conductor of project involvning ctDNA in colorectal cancer.

“The audience includes every professional from researchers to healthcare providers. Written by experts in the field, the book meets the needs of its intended audience. This well-organized book covers the diagnosis of colorectal cancer, from early recognition to the use of algorithmic analysis with different clinical and laboratory tests used to diagnose the disease. … This is a good addition to the literature on colorectal cancer and the importance of a timely diagnosis.” (Henrique Jose Fernandez, Doody's Book Reviews, April,2018)

• General introduction of timely diagnosis of cancer.- Symptom awareness and cancer knowledge in the general population.- Fear of cancer and wishful thinking - psychological aspects of early diagnosis of cancer.- Prevalence of alarm symptoms in the general population (eg rectal bleeding).- The value of symptom scores.- Technical skills in diagnosing colorectal cancer (rectal palpation, rigid rectoscopy).- Fast-track solutions (2 weeks wait in UK, “cancer packages” in Denmark).- Pre-selection for invasive investigations using laboratory tests (f-calprotectin and i-FOBT).- Making use of family history.- Optimizing endoscopy services (managing waiting lists, sigmoidoscopy vs colonoscopy).- Cost-effectiveness of CT colonography vs colonoscopy.- Emergency presentation of colon cancer.- The role of quality registers and audits.- Prognostic impact of timeliness in diagnosing colorectal cancer.- Psychological impact of diagnostic delay on patients and staff.- The role of clinical decision support system.- Risk assessment.