title: Adherence to follow-up after a positive fecal occult blood test in an organized colorectal cancer screening program in Korea, 2004-2008.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the participation rates, positivity rates, and follow-up rates from 2004 to 2008 in an organized colorectal cancer (CRC) screening program using a fecal occult blood test (FOBT) in Korea.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study population was men and women aged 50 years or older who were invited to participate in the National Cancer Screening Program for CRC between 1 January 2004 and 31 December 2008. We collected the FOBT results and follow-up information for the FOBT positives.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participation rates increased steadily each year from 10.5% in 2004 to 21.1% in 2008. Between 2004 and 2008, FOBT positivity rates declined from 8.0% to 6.8%. Among the FOBT-positives, 61.3% of participants underwent either colonoscopy or double contrast barium enema (DCBE) in 2004, and this rate decreased to 38.6% in 2008. Age, health insurance type, and screening history were associated with adherence to follow-up test after a positive FOBT. With regard to follow-up tests, colonoscopy rates increased from 17.9% in 2004 to 27.6% in 2008, while DCBE decreased from 43.4% in 2004 to 11.0% in 2008. Colonoscopy was significantly more likely to be chosen as a follow-up test by men, participants aged 50-59 years, and National Health Insurance beneficiaries.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that targeting participants for follow-up, based on age and previous screening history, could be a good way to improve the follow-up rate.
authors: National Cancer Control Institute, National Cancer Center, Gyeonggi-do, Korea.
authors: Kui Son
authors: KS
authors: Choi
authors: Hoo-Yeon
authors: HY
authors: Lee
authors: Jae Kwan
authors: JK
authors: Jun
authors: Aesun
authors: A
authors: Shin
authors: Eun-Cheol
authors: EC
authors: Park
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001466:Barium Sulfate; D003113:Colonoscopy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology / Q000639:trends*; D004733:Enema / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009780:Occult Blood; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D001466:Barium Sulfate