Screening for colonic neoplastic lesions using flexible sigmoidoscopy in employees of a nuclear research center and members of collective settlements

As part of a screening program for colon cancer, short colonoscopy was performed on 399 employees of a nuclear research center and 228 members of a collective settlement (kibbutz). The examinations were carried out on individuals aged 40 years and above by two experienced endoscopists. The splenic flexure or transverse colon was reached in 95% of the procedures. Neoplastic lesions were found in 24 (6.0%) and 8 (3.5%) screenees in the Research Center and kibbutz populations respectively. Polyps <1 cm in diameter were significantly more common in the Research Center population but larger polyps and cancers were not. No evidence was found which suggests that working at the Nuclear Research Center increased the risk of colonic neoplasms.