Sedationless Colonoscopy Option May Increase Colorectal Cancer Screening Compliance

NEW YORK and KISSING, Germany, Oct. 1, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- invendo medical, manufacturer and distributor of a single-use and computer-assisted ("robotic") colonoscopy system, today announced the results of a survey examining key barriers that impact colorectal cancer screening compliance.  Screening has been shown to decrease colorectal cancer rates in the United States, but according to the American Cancer Society, only about half of people aged 50 or older, for whom screening is recommended, report having undergone colorectal cancer testing consistent with current guidelines.[i]

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The new survey found that 94% of referring physicians said they were concerned about patients not complying with their colonoscopy recommendation. The top two objections to colonoscopy screening that physicians reported hearing from their patients were concerns about pain (69%) and concerns about sedation (53%). Other indirectly sedation-related reasons not to undergo colonoscopy were people being too busy to take time off work (41%) or not having someone to accompany the patients (38%).

The advantages of invendoscopy™ strongly appealed to the surveyed physicians as 92% of them would be interested in recommending a colonoscopy option that may not require sedation, while 93% would be interested in recommending a colonoscopy option that is performed with a single-use product.

"The key objections to screening identified in this survey are addressed by the invendoscopy system," said John J. Cifarelli, EVP Global Markets of invendo medical.  "As we continue to roll out the invendoscopy system at two renowned New York-based hospitals and prepare to add another hospital on the East Coast, these survey results confirm that there is a clear need for a single-use colonoscope that might enable screening to be done without sedation. In a 2009 clinical study, sedation was required in less than 5% of all cases performed with invendoscopy.[ii]  By providing a gentler colonoscopy option, we can address sedation-related barriers to compliance and ensure patients are appropriately screened for colorectal cancer."

The survey was conducted by Guidepoint Global, an independent research firm, among 100 internal medicine and primary care physicians treating patients in New York City or Providence who regularly refer patients for screening colonoscopy.

About the invendoscopy™ system

The invendoscope™ SC20 has several features new to the field of colonoscopy:

• it is a single-use colonoscope with a working channel
• it is not pushed or pulled, but uses a computer-assisted ("robotic") gentle drive technology
• all endoscopic functions are performed using a handheld device and
• it reduces forces on the colon wall

About invendo medical - www.invendo-medical.com
Based in New York, U.S.A. and Kissing (near Munich), Germany, invendo medical is a leading developer of disposable endoscopy products in the field of gastroenterology that are hygienically safe and employ "robotic" computer-assisted, gentle advancement technology.

[i] American Cancer Society. Colorectal Cancer Facts & Figures. Available at http://www.cancer.org/research/cancerfactsstatistics/colorectal-cancer-facts-figures. Last accessed September 30, 2013.

[ii] Groth S, Rex DK, Rosch T, Hoepffner N. High Cecal Intubation Rates With a New Computer-Assisted Colonoscope: A Feasibility Study. Am J Gastroenterol. 2011 June; 106(6): 1075–1080.

SOURCE invendo medical