Current status of screening colonoscopy in Europe and in the United States

Colonoscopy screening for colorectal cancer and adenoma is already being practiced in the United States and in some European countries and it is being studied in others. In order to compare the experience gained to date and to discuss the existing evidence concerning endoscopic screening, a 1-day workshop entitled “Eurocolonoscopy” was held in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, on 10 May 2006. The workshop was organized by representatives of the European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ESGE), the International Digestive Cancer Alliance (IDCA), the German Society of Digestive and Metabolic Diseases (DGVS), and the German Network against Colorectal Cancer, by participants from European countries where endoscopic screening is practiced, and by one representative from the United States. The workshop began with an overview of the screening conditions specific to each country, and this was followed by a general discussion about colonoscopy screening. This article summarizes the current status of colonoscopy screening in Europe and the United States.