Adenoma Detection Rate in Sedated Colonoscopies Performed at Mehrgan Hospital, Kerman (2020–2024): Association with Demographic Factors and Colorectal Cancer Occurrence

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most commonly diagnosed malignancy and the second leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. The adenoma detection rate (ADR), based on pathology-confirmed adenomas, is a key quality indicator for colonoscopy and a surrogate marker for its effectiveness in CRC prevention. We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study of all sedated colonoscopies performed at Mehrgan Hospital, Kerman, Iran, between 1399 and 1403 (2020–2024). Patient demographic data (age, sex) and histopathological findings were recorded. The ADR was calculated as the proportion of colonoscopies with at least one pathology-confirmed adenoma. Associations between ADR and demographic variables were assessed using Chi-squared and independent t-tests, with significance set at p < 0.05. A total of 6,428 sedated colonoscopies were reviewed (mean age: 53.5 ± 15.0 years; 47.3% male). The rate of pathology-confirmed ADR was 13.3%, being significantly higher in men than in women, also increasing with age, particularly among patients ≥ 45 years (p < 0.01). Tubular adenomas were the most common histologic subtype, followed by tubulovillous and villous. The pathology-confirmed ADR observed in this study was within international quality benchmarks. Male sex and older age were significantly associated with higher detection rates. This underscores the need for targeted screening strategies and, potentially, earlier CRC screening initiation in Iran.