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

The results of the IA study have recently been  published in The Lancet Oncology and the NIHR-HTA Journal.

In summary, follow-up with at least one colonoscopy examination is of benefit to most patients who have intermediate-risk bowel polyps detected. However, some people (about a third) are already at a low risk of developing more bowel polyps or bowel cancer after their first colonoscopy examination and the value of additional colonoscopy follow-up examinations is unclear – to both the patient and the NHS services doing the colonoscopy examinations.

Prof. Wendy Atkin also presented the results of the study to an audience of clinicians, gastroenterologists and research scientists at the Digestive Disease Week conference in Chicago, USA, in May 2017.

The results of the AA study are currently being analysed. After the analysis is complete the results will be published on the NIHR-HTA journal website and in peer reviewed medical journals.

We anticipate that findings from this study will be used to inform current national and international guidelines, to make monitoring patients at risk of bowel cancer as safe and effective as possible and to make the best use of health service resources.