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Care within a Veterans Hospital

Earlier detection of colon cancer

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Abstract

Background

In 1998 the Veterans Administration mandated an externally monitored targeted colon cancer screening rate that was expected to result in earlier cancer detection and improved patient survival. The effectiveness of the protocol was evaluated in a retrospective case series at a tertiary care Veterans Administration Hospital that included all patients with the diagnosis of colon cancer between 1991 and 2003.

Methods

Tumor stage, tumor location, and patient survival data were recorded and compared to National Cancer Data Base (NCDB) benchmarks.

Results

The study facility had a greater percentage of early cancers and fewer later stage cancers than the NCDB benchmark. Overall survival was better for the VA cohort compared to NCDB (all-cause 5-year survival: VA, 0.72; NCDB, 0.47. p ≤ .001).

Conclusions

The VA facility had a significantly greater percentage of early cancers and fewer stage III or IV cancers compared to a national benchmark and significantly improved survival compared to the national benchmark.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, 94305, United States

    P. van Roessel

  2. Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, 94305, United States

    R. V. Rouse

  3. Department of Pathology, Palo Alto Veteran’s Affairs Health Care System, Palo Alto, California, 94304, United States

    R. V. Rouse

  4. Department of Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, G112 PAVAHCS, 3801 Miranda Avenue, Palo Alto, California, 94304, United States

    S. M. Wren

  5. Department of Surgery, Palo Alto Veteran’s Affairs Health Care System, Palo Alto, California, United States

    S. M. Wren

Authors
  1. P. van Roessel
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  2. R. V. Rouse
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  3. S. M. Wren
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to S. M. Wren.

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van Roessel, P., Rouse, R.V. & Wren, S.M. Care within a Veterans Hospital. Surg Endosc 21, 1434–1440 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00464-006-9184-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00464-006-9184-6

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