title: [Colorectal cancer screening: survey of endoscopy center's physicians in Lazio region].
abstract: The aim of the present work is to describe the characteristics of digestive endoscopy centers and the physicians that work there, with particular attention to their attitudes and practices in colorectal cancer screening. A questionnaire was sent to all 80 digestive endoscopy centers in the Lazio region, identified by the annual census of Italian Society of Digestive Endoscopy (Società Italiana di Endoscopia Digestiva, SIED). Seventy-one centers (89%), returned the questionnaire. Screening activity on average represents 14% of the centers' colonoscopy workload. Colonoscopy was considered to be a "very effective" screening test by 96% of physicians, the faecal occult blood test "very effective" by 20%, and flexosigmoidoscopy "very effective" by 11%. Ninety-seven percent (97%) of physicians reported recommending any test for screening: 80% colonoscopy, 61% faecal occult blood test, 14% double contrast barium enema and 11% flexosigmoidoscopy. Despite the fact that almost all physicians reported recommending screening, the centres are only marginally involved in screening practice. Endoscopy centers' physicians tend to have an aggressive strategy for colorectal cancer prevention and exclusive trust in colonoscopy; an attitude more consistent with a clinical-diagnostic approach than with real mass screening of a healthy population.
authors.affiliation: Agenzia di Sanità Pubblica della Regione Lazio, Roma.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Federici
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Valle
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Giorgi Rossi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Grassi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Borgia
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Guasticchi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003113:Colonoscopy; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires