UEG's educational platform for gastroenterology education bringing recordings, courses, guidelines, and more together in one place.

UEG Week Berlin 2025 Recordings Gut Guide online

Rate for better recommendations!

Your feedback helps us show you more of what you like and less of what you dislike!

More of this!

We will show you more similar content.

Not for me!

We won't suggest this again.

Bookmark!

Save this content for later!

New to myUEG? Create an account! Log In with myUEG account

UEG Poster

Standard Poster

Share via Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Share on Bluesky

Free for all myUEG account holders. Your access level is set automatically based on your occupation. Medical professionals get full access to all content. If you are a non-medical user, you can only access UEG Week content from congresses you attended.

Not sure what you can access? Learn more about account types.

Introduction

Over the world, fecal occult blood testing (FOBT) is used as a colorectal cancer (CRC) screening method for middle age and older age, but there are problems such as sensitivity/specificity issues, low participation rates in primary and secondary screenings, and that the incidence/mortality rates of CRC are still high. Fusobacterium nucleatum (Fn) has been reported to be frequently detected in the feces of CRC patients in recent years, and it has been reported that screening sensitivity can be increased by combining it with Fn PCR testing. However, due to the cost and technical complexity of PCR, it has not yet been widely used in clinical practice. In this study, we developed a simple method using ELISA to measure antibodies against FadA expressed by Fn and evaluated its usefulness.

Aims & Methods

We evaluated FOBT, Fn PCR quantification, and Fn (ELISA) in 41 individuals diagnosed with CRC from April 2020 to December 2022 and 41 healthy volunteers without CRC. Subgroup analysis was also performed in CRC patients at each stage.

Results

The correlation coefficient between Fn PCR quantification and Fn (ELISA) was good at r=0.722, p<0.001. FOBT alone had a sensitivity of 61% and a specificity of 100%. In Fn ELISA, when cut off#1 was set to maximize the AUC in ROC, the sensitivity and specificity were 76% and 78%, respectively, and when combined with FOBT, the sensitivity was 90% and the specificity was 78%. In screening, high specificity is required, so we set cut off#2 Fn ELISA to achieve a specificity of 93% and performed analysis. When combined with FOBT, the sensitivity was 73% and the specificity was 93%. When targeting advanced cancer of stage II or higher, the sensitivity by combining FOBT and Fn ELISA was 100% at cut off#1 and 79% at cut off#2, while for early cancer, the sensitivity was 76% at cut off#1 and 59% at cut off#2, both of which were better than the sensitivity of FOBT alone.

Conclusion

By combining Fn measurement using ELISA with FOBT, it was possible to increase the diagnostic sensitivity and reduce false negatives compared to FOBT alone. There are challenges such as setting appropriate cut-off values for use in screening, but measuring Fn in addition to FOBT may improve screening accuracy and increase the participation rate in secondary screening, and in the future, we would like to evaluate its effectiveness even in populations with low prior probability of screening participation.

THE USEFULNESS OF FUSOBACTERIUM NUCLEATUM MEASUREMENT IN STOOL FOR COLORECTAL CANCER SCREENING

Takuma Higurashi 1, Shigeki Tamura 1, Noboru Misawa 1, Tsutomu Yoshihara 1, Tetsuya Matsuura 1, Atsushi Nakajima 1

1 Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Japan

Conference

UEG Week Copenhagen 2023

Topics

Colorectal

Submission format

Abstract

Session

PP 06 Other lower GI disorders (Posters)

Citation

United European Gastroenterology Journal 2023; 11 (Supplement 8)

Published

2023

UEG Presentation

Share via Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Share on Bluesky

Not sure what you can access? Learn more about account types.

Panel discussion: Screening for colorectal cancer

Event

UEG Week Berlin 2025

Topics

Colorectal Digestive Oncology Endoscopy Nurses

Session

Screening for colorectal cancer: Can we stratify the risks?

Citation

United European Gastroenterology Journal 2025; 13 (Supplement 8)

Published

2025

UEG Podcast Episode

Journal Podcast

Share via Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Share on Bluesky

Not sure what you can access? Learn more about account types.

Episode 3: UEG Journal July spotlight

Mohsan Subhani, Maria Manuela Estevinho

Published

2025

UEG Presentation

Share via Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Share on Bluesky

Not sure what you can access? Learn more about account types.

Management of moderate-penetrance colorectal cancer susceptibility genes. Should we do screening?

Leticia Moreira Ruiz 1

1 Hospital Clinic de Barcelona, Gava, Spain

Event

UEG Postgraduate Teaching Programme Berlin 2025

Topics

Colorectal Digestive Oncology Pancreas Stomach & H. Pylori

Session

Hereditary GI cancer syndromes: Surveillance strategies

Citation

United European Gastroenterology Journal 2025; 13 (Supplement 8)

Published

2025

UEG Presentation

Share via Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Share on Bluesky

NATIONWIDE EVALUATION OF THE DUTCH COLORECTAL CANCER SCREENING PROGRAM

Not sure what you can access? Learn more about account types.

Introduction

Ongoing screening programs should be monitored and evaluated regularly to ensure a favorable balance between their harms and benefits. In 2022, the Dutch Health Council performed an evaluation commissioned by the Minister of Health of the first seven years of the population-based colorectal cancer (CRC) screening program in the Netherlands.

Aims & Methods

This study describes the key performance indicators used for this large evaluation in 2022. Population-based CRC screening in the Netherlands was initiated in 2014 with a phased roll-out by birth cohort, inviting individuals aged 55 to 75 to perform a faecal immunochemical test (FIT) using a positivity cut-off of 47 µg Hb/g faeces every two years. We calculated key performance indicators based on individual-level data from participants between 2014 and 2020 (up to four screening rounds) and presented outcomes by sex, round and prior faecal haemoglobin concentration (fHb). Also, we calculated the overall and advanced (stage III and IV) CRC incidence rate in 2013, 2015 and 2018 for advanced CRC incidence rate and 2019 for overall CRC incidence rate. Last, FIT episode sensitivity was calculated for three screening rounds between 2014 and 2018.

Results

FIT participation was high, especially among women, but slightly decreased over time. (Table 1) Colonoscopy participation remained stable (~85%). FIT positivity rate decreased from 5.6% to 4.3% after the first round and was higher for men than women. Similar patterns were observed for PPV and detection rates. The false-positivity rate was stable over three screening rounds (2.7 for men and 2.1 for women). The colonoscopy complication rate was less than 1%. For individuals with prior fHb just below the cut-off (15.0-46.9 µg Hb/g), FIT positivity and detection rates were significantly higher than for individuals with lower fHb. After the introduction of the screening program, the age-standardized overall CRC incidence rate initially increased from 214.3 in 2013 to 259.2 in 2015 but subsequently decreased below the level before screening to 181.5 in 2019. The same pattern was also visible for the advanced CRC incidence rate which increased from 117.0 in 2013 to 122.8 in 2015 and decreased to 94.7 in 2018.

Table 1 Key performance indicators in the evaluation by the Health Council of the population-based CRC screening program in the Netherlands.

Sex: Screening round	Men: First	Second	Third	Fourth	Women: First	Second	Third	Fourth
FIT participation rate	68.6%	70.4%	77.8%	75.8%	73.5%	75.3%	76.9%	77.8%
FIT positivity rate	7.0%	5.2%	5.3%	5.4%	4.4%	3.5%	3.6%	3.8%
Follow-up colonoscopy participation rate	84.4%	85.6%	84.2%	84.8%	83.4%	84.9%	84.3%	83.2%
False-positivity rate^a	2.8%	2.7%	2.8%	-	2.1%	2.1%	2.1%	-
CRC detection rate^b	4.9	2.4	2.5	2.9	2.8	1.6	1.8	1.8
AA detection rate^b	28.4	15.8	14.3	14.3	14.2	8.4	8.1	8.7
PPV CRC	8.3%	5.5%	5.7%	5.7%	7.6%	5.5%	5.8%	5.8%
PPV AA	48.0%	35.7%	32.3%	31.2%	38.6%	28.2%	26.7%	27.5%
FIT episode sensitivity^a	86.7%	74.3%	77.1%	-	80.9%	71.4%	71.3%	-

Abbreviation: FIT, fecal immunochemical test; CRC, colorectal cancer; AA, advanced adenoma; PPV, positive predictive value.
a. Interval cancer data complete up to 31-12-2018 and
b. Per 100,000 individuals

Conclusion

Based on these key performance indicators, the Health Council concluded that the Dutch CRC screening program has a favorable harm-benefit ratio. The Council recommended future research into increasing participation in underserved populations or improving the program with a personalized invitation or screening strategy.

NATIONWIDE EVALUATION OF THE DUTCH COLORECTAL CANCER SCREENING PROGRAM

Lucie de Jonge 1, Hilliene J. van de Schootbrugge-Vandermeer 1, Esther Toes-Zoutendijk 2, Iris Seriese 3, Wendy Koster 3, Iris Nagtegaal 4, Unknown Unknown 5, Folkert J. van Kemenade 1, Evelien Dekker 6, Manon C.W. Spaander 5, Monique van leerdam 7, Iris Lansdorp-Vogelaar 8

1 Erasmus MC University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands

2 University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands

3 The National Institute for Public Health and Environment, Bilthoven, Netherlands

4 Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center Dept. of Pathology, Nijmegen, Netherlands

5 Erasmus Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands

6 AMC, Amsterdam, Netherlands

7 Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amstelveen, Netherlands|||Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands

8 Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, Netherlands

Event

UEG Week Copenhagen 2023

Topics

Colorectal Digestive Oncology Radiology & Imaging

Submission format

Abstract

Session

Lower GI cancer: Screening, follow-up and beyond

Citation

United European Gastroenterology Journal 2023; 11 (Supplement 8)

Published

2023

UEG Poster

Standard Poster

Share via Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Share on Bluesky

Not sure what you can access? Learn more about account types.

Introduction

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the most common cancer in Spain, with an estimated 44,573 new cases in 2025. The standard CRC screening strategy involves the immunological faecal occult blood test (FIT), followed by colonoscopy in positive cases. However, the low specificity of FIT results in a significant number of unnecessary colonoscopies, placing a high burden on healthcare systems. There is a growing need to explore alternative screening strategies that offer better cost-effectiveness ratios. The gut microbiota plays a key role in CRC carcinogenesis, and several bacterial species involved in this process have been identified. A diagnostic tool based on the combination of FIT (cut-off 100 ng/mL – FIT100) and a bacterial signature has been designed to detect CRC and advanced lesions (AL, defined as ≥1 cm and/or high-grade dysplasia and/or a hairy component). This tool uses qPCR to analyse the relative abundance of specific bacteria in the same stool sample used for FIT testing. Previous studies, including a proof-of-concept (N=172), confirmatory study (N=327), and clinical performance study (N=2,481), have validated the tool.

Aims & Methods

This study aims to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the bacterial signature applied to FIT100 positive participants and its potential to reduce unnecessary colonoscopies in the CRC screening program in Catalonia.
A prospective observational study was conducted in a multicentre cohort across five hospitals, including participants from the CRC screening program with a positive FIT100. Blinding was applied to the FIT, bacterial signature, colonoscopy, and biopsy. Colonoscopy-biopsy was used as the reference standard. The study included 1,453 participants, of which 48 were excluded from the analysis mainly because of poor sample conditions, resulting in a final sample of 1,405 participants. Sensitivity was defined as the proportion of true positives detected by the FIT that the bacterial signature also identifies as positive. Specificity was defined as the proportion of false positives of FIT that the bacterial signature correctly identifies as true negatives.

Results

From the 1,405 analysed cases, 44 were CRC, 472 AL, and 889 without AL. For CRC detection, the sensitivity was 95.5%, with a specificity of 18.4%. The reduction in false positives was 18.4%. For AL and CRC combined, the sensitivity was 82.6%, with a specificity of 18.4%.

Conclusion

The bacterial signature applied to FIT100 positive participants demonstrates high sensitivity for CRC detection while reducing unnecessary colonoscopies by minimizing false positives. Its implementation in the CRC screening protocol could improve the overall efficiency of the screening process. Future studies should focus on cost minimization and assess the tool's cost-effectiveness to ensure a favourable risk-benefit ratio for broader implementation.

IMPROVING COLORECTAL CANCER SCREENING WITH A BACTERIAL SIGNATURE IN THE PROTOCOL

Cristina Miracle 1, Alberto Ameijide 1, Margarita Villar 2, Javier Pamplona 3, Marco Aurelio Alburquerque 4, Marc Albert Carrasco 5, Mònica Rivera 6, Jaume Galceran 1

1 Sant Joan de Reus University Hospital, Reus, Spain

2 Hospital de Tortosa Verge de la Cinta, Tortosa, Spain

3 Hospital Universitari de Girona Dr. Josep Trueta – Institut d'Assistència Sanitària de Salt, IDIBGI, Girona, Spain

4 Palamós Hospital, Palamós, Spain

5 La Garrotxa Regional Hospital, Olot, Spain

6 Hospital de Figueres - Fundació Salut Empordà, Figueres, Spain

Conference

UEG Week Berlin 2025

Topics

Colorectal

Submission format

Abstract

Session

Gut microbiome in oncology (Posters)

Citation

United European Gastroenterology Journal 2025; 13 (Supplement 8)

Published

2025

UEG Poster

Standard Poster

Share via Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Share on Bluesky

Not sure what you can access? Learn more about account types.

Introduction

Colorectal cancer (CRC) screening is well established worldwide. However, the suboptimal sensitivity of the Fecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) for precancerous lesions justifies the search for new tools, namely microRNAs (miRs). In recent years, the detection of these molecules in liquid biopsies has gained increasing interest, as they reflect CRC progression and enable the early detection of precancerous lesions. Moreover, using miRs as a blood-based screening test could potentially increase patient adherence.

Aims & Methods

In this context, we aimed to identify circulating miR profiles for the early detection of CRC. Based on our previous literature review, we selected four miRs (miR-21-5p, miR-92a-3p, miR-451a and miR-199a-5p) with the best performance for the detection of CRC and high-grade dysplasia lesions (HGD). MiR expression was evaluated using RT-qPCR in plasma samples from 80 individuals who underwent colonoscopy with different clinical outcomes, namely, individuals without lesions found on colonoscopy, low-grade dysplasia lesions, high-grade dysplasia lesions, and patients diagnosed with CRC.

Results

Our findings demonstrate a decreased expression of all miRs in CRC and HGD lesions. Regarding HGD identification, miR-21-5p demonstrate a sensitivity of 68% (95% CI: 46 – 85%) and a specificity of 100% (95% CI: 84 – 100). Moreover, miR-92a-3p, miR-451a and miR-199a-5p demonstrated a sensitivity higher than 85% for HGD lesions detection, despite low sensitivity (around 70%). Concerning CRC detection, miR-92a-3p and miR-199a-5p demonstrated sensitivity of approximately 65%, with specificities of 70%, for miR-92a-3p (95% CI: 48 – 85%), and 80% for miR-199a-5p (95% CI: 58 – 92%). Furthermore, miR-21-5p showed outstanding performance in CRC identification with a sensitivity of 95% (95% CI: 75 – 100%), for an AUC of 0.900 (95% CI: 0.807 – 0.993). Moreover, when a negative result was obtained for one of these miRs, the presence of colorectal cancer lesions could be accurately excluded (negative predictive value: 98%).

Conclusion

These findings suggest that circulating miRs have the potential to improve the detection of precancerous lesions, surpassing the performance of FIT. Moreover, given their accuracy in identifying individuals without lesions, they could serve as effective confirmatory screening tools, reducing the number of unnecessary colonoscopies.

CIRCULATING MICRORNAS AND THEIR POTENTIAL FOR IMPROVE THE EARLY COLORECTAL CANCER SCREENING

Daniela Santos 1, Susana Loureiro 2, Mariana Eiras 3, Renato Caldevilla 4, Lúcio Lara Santos 5, Mario Dinis-Ribeiro 6, Luis Lima 4

1 CI-IPOP, Porto, Portugal|||Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto, Porto, Portugal

2 CI-IPOP, Porto, Portugal|||Polytechnic Institute of Porto, Porto, Portugal

3 CI-IPOP, Porto, Portugal|||University of Porto, Porto, Portugal

4 CI-IPOP, Porto, Portugal

5 CI-IPOP, Porto, Portugal|||IPO-Porto, Porto, Portugal

6 Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto, Porto, Portugal|||IPO Porto, Porto, Portugal

Conference

UEG Week Berlin 2025

Topics

Colorectal

Submission format

Abstract

Session

Colorectal cancer: Working around genetics and complications (Posters)

Citation

United European Gastroenterology Journal 2025; 13 (Supplement 8)

Published

2025

UEG's educational platform for gastroenterology education bringing recordings, courses, guidelines, and more together in one place.

Most popular content

Rate for better recommendations!