What are the results of the study and what impact have they had?

The findings from the two SIGGAR trials were published on the NHS National Institute for Health Research website and in The Lancet in 2013 for the CTC versus colonoscopy trial and the CTC versus barium enema trial.

Imperial College London also published a news article on this in February 2013.

The SIGGAR trials were able to show that virtual colonoscopy was better than barium enema for the diagnosis of bowel cancer, and was also better value for money for the NHS. We hope that barium enema will be phased out as a result of these findings – the number of barium enema tests offered on the NHS is already reducing.

The SIGGAR trials also showed that virtual colonoscopy was generally as good as standard colonoscopy at finding bowel cancer, but had the added benefit of being a more acceptable test for many people with fewer complications.

Publications

Halligan S, Dadswell E, Wooldrage K, et al. Computed tomographic colonography compared with colonoscopy or barium enema for diagnosis of colorectal cancer in older symptomatic patients: two multicentre randomised trials with economic evaluation (the SIGGAR trials). Health Technol Assess. 2015 Jul;19(54):1-134.

Halligan S, Wooldrage K, Dadswell E, et al. Identification of Extra-colonic Pathologies by Computed Tomographic Colonography in Symptomatic Patients. Gastroenterology. 2015 Jul;149(1):89-101.

Zhu S, Yao G, Halligan S, et al. Cost-effectiveness analysis of computed tomographic colonography versus double contrast barium enema for investigation of patients with symptoms of colorectal cancer: Economic evaluation alongside the SIGGAR trial. Value in Health. 2014 Nov;17(7): A719-A719.

Atkin W, Dadswell E, Wooldrage K, et al. Computed tomographic colonography versus colonoscopy for investigation of patients with symptoms suggestive of colorectal cancer (SIGGAR) : a multicentre randomised trial. Lancet. 2013 Apr;381(9873):1194-202.

Halligan S, Wooldrage K, Dadswell E, et al. Computed tomographic colonography versus barium enema for diagnosis of colorectal cancer or large polyps in symptomatic patients (SIGGAR) : a multicentre randomised trial. Lancet. 2013 Apr;381(9873):1185-93.

von Wagner C, Ghanouni A, Halligan S, et al. Patient acceptability and psychologic consequences of CT colonography compared with those of colonoscopy: results from a multicenter randomized controlled trial of symptomatic patients. Radiology. 2012 Jun;263(3):723-31.

von Wagner C, Smith S, Halligan S, et al. Patient acceptability of CT colonography compared with double contrast barium enema: results from a multicentre randomised controlled trial of symptomatic patients. European Radiology. Oct 2011;21(10):2046-55.

Von Wagner R, Knight K, Halligan S, et al. Patient experiences of colonoscopy, barium enema and CT colonography: a qualitative study. Br J Radiol. 2009 Jan;82(973):13-9.

Steve Halligan, Richard J Lilford, Dion Morton, et al. Design of a multicentre randomized trial to evaluate CT colonography versus colonoscopy or barium enema for diagnosis of colonic cancer in older symptomatic patients: The SIGGAR study. Trials. 2007, 8:32.