The Ministry of Health has no plans to change its four-year bowel cancer screening pilot which it says will give it time to watch and consider emerging evidence about other screening developments.
In an email response to questions raised by the Otago Daily Times about whether screening involving faecal occult blood testing (FOBT) could be outmoded in four years, national clinical director of the Ministry's cancer programme Dr John Childs said FOBT was in line with international evidence and best practice.
The ministry has been criticised for the time it is taking to make a decision on a future national screening programme for colorectal cancer, the nation's second-biggest cancer killer.
It could be 2016 or later before any decision is made on a national screening programme, as the pilot will not be completed until 2015 and time will have to be allowed for data analysis.
Dr Childs said current evidence showed the type of FOBT which would be used was the best and most cost-effective screening test.
There were other screening developments, including flexible sigmoidoscopy, which would be watched by the ministry.
The pilot would also provide the infrastructure for other modes of screening, if evidence showed the benefit of them.
Asked if any serious consideration was given to a shorter pilot or one which also tested offering a one-off flexible sigmoidoscopy, Dr Childs did not answer the question directly.
The pilot as planned in the Waitemata District Health Board area would enable two full rounds of screening to be completed.
It would also allow time to gather information on the level of participation, the number of cancers detected and what stage of the disease had reached, the impact on health services and the costs involved.
It would also allow time to improve the quality of colonoscopy services around the country and to ensure there were sufficient staff and capacity to cope with the current demand and any extra demand a screening programme would involve.
Britain, which began screening 10 years ago, had cautiously introduced a flexible sigmoidoscopy trial into its programme and "we are keeping a close eye on developments", Dr Childs said.
Responding to Beat Bowel Cancer Aotearoa's concern the pilot was "too little and too late", he said it was vital to ensure quality and safety issues had been addressed, standards were in place and there were plans to manage all aspects of screening and treatment.
The announcement of the pilot "shows great progress is being made".
Work was being done to improve colonscopy services and this included the appointment of two clinical leaders, Dr David Theobald and Jenni Masters, to work closely with district health boards, regional cancer networks, professional bodies and clinicians to drive endoscopy service improvement.
