Clinical practice guidelines for surveillance colonoscopy

The guideline recommendations were approved by the Chief Executive Officer of the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) on 7 December 2018 under section 14A of the National Health and Medical Research Council Act 1992.

In approving the guideline recommendations, NHMRC considers that they meet the NHMRC standard for clinical practice guidelines. This approval is valid for a period of five years.

NHMRC is satisfied that the guideline recommendations are systematically derived, based on the identification and synthesis of the best available scientific evidence, and developed for health professionals practising in an Australian health care setting.

This publication reflects the views of the authors and not necessarily the views of the Australian Government.

Cite this guideline

Cancer Council Australia Surveillance Colonoscopy Guidelines Working Party. Clinical practice guidelines for surveillance colonoscopy. Sydney: Cancer Council Australia. [Version URL: https://wiki.cancer.org.au/australiawiki/index.php?oldid=215532, cited 2023 Mar 21]. Available from: https://wiki.cancer.org.au/australia/Guidelines:Colorectal_cancer/Colonoscopy_surveillance.

PDF download: Surveillance colonoscopy guidelines – short-form guidelines (recommendations only)

Please also see the following files:

• administrative report
• dissemination report

This is a wiki-based guideline. A PDF version of the recommendations in the guideline (short-form guideline), has been made available for download using the link above.

PDF download: Surveillance colonoscopy guidelines resource – Colonoscopic surveillance after polypectomy

Foreword

Introduction

Summary of recommendations

Plain language summary

Advances in colonoscopy, CT colonography and other methods

• Bowel preparation
• Advances in technique
• Technological advances
• Adjunct technologies
• Quality of colonoscopy
• CT colonography

Colonoscopic surveillance after polypectomy

• First surveillance intervals following removal of low risk conventional adenomas only (SAD1)
• First surveillance intervals following removal of high risk conventional adenomas only (SAD2)
• First surveillance intervals following removal of ≥5 conventional adenomas only (SAD5)
• First surveillance intervals following removal of serrated polyps (± conventional adenomas) (SAD4)
• First surveillance intervals following removal of large sessile or laterally spreading adenomas (SAD3)
• Should family history affect surveillance intervals? (SFH1)
• Subsequent surveillance colonoscopies
• The elderly and stopping rules
• Malignant polyps
• Discussion

The role of surveillance colonoscopy after curative resection for colorectal cancer

• Preoperative and perioperative colonoscopy in patients with colorectal cancer undergoing resection (COL1)
• Follow-up colonoscopy after colorectal cancer resection (FUC1)
• Patient selection for surveillance colonoscopy following resection

Colonoscopic surveillance and management of dysplasia in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)

• Initiation of surveillance in IBD (SUR1)
• Surveillance interval for IBD patients (SUR2)
• Recommended surveillance techniques in IBD patients (SUR3)
• Management of elevated dysplasia in IBD (MNG1)
• High-grade dysplasia in IBD (MNG2)
• Low-grade dysplasia in IBD (MNG3)
• Indefinite dysplasia in IBD (MNG4)
• Discussion

Anxiety and colonoscopy: approaches to minimise anxiety and its adverse effects

Socioeconomic factors

• Impact of socioeconomic factors on surveillance colonoscopy
• Colonoscopy outcomes in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples)
• Impact of socioeconomic factors in treatment groups undergoing surveillance colonoscopy

Appendices

• Guideline development process
• Clinical question list
• Journal articles
• Technical report
• Working party members and contributors
• Conflict of interest register
• Technical terms and abbreviations

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