Can Repeat Colonoscopy Be Safely Delayed after Negative Colonoscopy in Low-Risk Patients?

Knudsen MD, Wang K, Wang L, et al. Colorectal Cancer Incidence and Mortality After Negative Colonoscopy Screening Results. JAMA Oncol. 2024; in press.

Data cited in this article showed that patients at low risk for development of colorectal cancer (CRC) who undergo a negative colonoscopy could safely delay repeat colonoscopy beyond the currently recommended 10-year interval.

The authors compared frequency of colonic neoplasia and CRC in three national patient cohorts (n = 195,453) stratified according to accepted CRC risk scores. Outcomes were available at a median of 12 years following a negative colonoscopy.

Patients with intermediate or low risk scores did not reach the expected 10-year cumulative incidence of CRC indicating that longer delays until repeat endoscopy would be safe.

The authors recommended that risk scoring be used to determine the recommended interval between a negative colonoscopy and follow-up endoscopy.