The study by Ellis et al1 in the December 2005 issue of the BJGP, raises several issues ranging from failure to assess the importance of other risk factors associated with colorectal cancer to misleading statistics and incomplete investigations. When evaluating rectal bleeding, it is essential to look at other risk factors such as unexplained anaemia, family history of colorectal cancer and previous history of removal of adenomatous polyps. They mentioned no laboratory investigations.
Colonoscopy should be the diagnostic procedure of choice and gold standard in evaluating the …