Adenoma detection rate, or ADR, is a numeric value that represents the percentage of times your gastroenterologist detects a precancerous polyp during screening colonoscopies. This number is considered a benchmark of quality and care, as it indicates how thorough your doctor will be during your examination.
Research shows that for every 1 percent increase in a physician’s ADR, your risk of developing colon cancer over the next year decreases by 3 percent.
— Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5723728/#r7
Although gastroenterologists undergo the most extensive training in performing colonoscopies, their rates of polyp detection can vary significantly. When interviewing gastroenterologists to perform your procedure, look for a physician with an ADR of at least 25 percent in men and 15 percent in women. The higher the ADR, the better. Research shows that for every 1% increase in a physician’s ADR, your risk of developing colon cancer over the next year decreases by 3%, and a 5% decrease in risk of a fatal interval cancer.
Conclusions of this study: the adenoma detection rate was inversely associated with the risks of interval colorectal cancer, advanced-stage interval cancer, and fatal interval cancer.
What else should you ask your doctor?
You may feel a little uneasy asking your potential doctor about providing an ADR, but rest assured that this is a reasonable request. Qualified gastroenterologists take pride in their hard-earned ADRs, and they will be happy to share this information with you. You should also enquire about your physician’s average withdrawal time, which is the amount of time it takes to remove the scope from the colon. You want a gastroenterologist with an average withdrawal time of at least six minutes.
Finding the right gastroenterologist may require a bit of courage and assertiveness, but it is well worth the effort. Make a list of questions to ask when interviewing potential physicians, and be sure to include ADR and average withdrawal time. A high-quality physician is the key to a thorough examination and a future without colon cancer.
Why is the Average Withdrawal Time important?
Adenoma detection was strongly associated with longer withdrawal times: endoscopists whose withdrawal times were more than 6 minutes detected more than twice as many patients with adenomas that were 1cm or larger in size.
(Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3099297/)
If you’re interested, here are links to more literature on the subject:
“At that time, the Task Force recommended that adenomas should be detected in at least 25% of men who are 50 years of age and older and 15% of women who are 50 years of age and older. In addition, it was recommended that the time an endoscopist takes to withdraw their endoscope at the end of a colonoscopy should average at least 6–10 minutes in normal colons in which no biopsies or polypectomies were performed.”
What is Dr Keegan’s ADR and average withdrawal time?
Dr Keegan takes pride in his thoroughness and precision in doing these endoscopic procedures. He will be more than happy to share these with you. Those numbers will soon be posted here, too.
