Colorectal cancer screening in a Spanish population.
OBJECTIVE
Public compliance of recommended screening tests is a key element for increasing participation in colorectal cancer screening campaigns. We intended to investigate the use of the recommended screening tests for colorectal cancer detection in a sample of average-risk subjects.


METHODS
It was a cross-sectional study with random selection of participants. We included 953 average-risk consecutive participants of a colorectal cancer-screening program who fulfilled a questionnaire to determine their previous use of diagnostic procedures for colorectal cancer detection, use with screening intention and use in the recommended intervals.


RESULTS
In total 44% individuals were aware of any screening test for colorectal cancer. A recommended test had ever been received by 13%, but in less than 1% the indication was screening. Use of procedures for colorectal cancer detection was scarce compared with those for breast cancer detection (95%) and prostate cancer detection (47%). Use of a recent colorectal cancer procedure was also lower (8%) than a breast cancer (81%) or prostate cancer procedure (28%).


CONCLUSIONS
Use of colorectal cancer screening and compliance of the recommended guidelines seems suboptimal in the Spanish population. Efforts are warranted for increasing colorectal cancer screening in this population.
Gimeno-García
Antonio Z
AZ
Servicio de aparato Digestivo, Hospital Universitario de Canarias, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Tenerife, Spain. gastrohuc@gmail.com
Quintero
Enrique
E
Nicolás-Pérez
David
D
Parra-Blanco
Adolfo
A
Jiménez
Alejandro
A
D000368:Aged; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D019983:Guideline Adherence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D013030:Spain