title: Survival benefit of increasing colorectal cancer screening uptake in Wolverhampton, UK: an exploratory study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Colorectal cancer (CRC) is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in the UK. Biennial faecal occult blood test screening has been shown to significantly reduce mortality from CRC. Wolverhampton was the first centre involved in the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme (NHS BCSP) in England. The aim of this study was to assess the life-year saving by increasing the uptake of CRC screening in Wolverhampton by 20%.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using data from the first complete round of the NHS BCSP and 5-year survival figures based on the Dukes staging system, a simple model was developed on Microsoft Excel using the population of Wolverhampton aged between 60 and 74 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  If uptake of CRC screening in Wolverhampton increased from 50% to 70%, one extra person would be alive at 5 years and the 5-year survival rate would increase by 0.85%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Increasing the uptake of CRC screening by 20% in Wolverhampton would have a modest survival benefit. Further work is needed to determine whether or not this is cost-effective.
authors: College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK. Electronic address: Vxa684@bham.ac.uk.
authors: V
authors: V
authors: Anand
authors: Wolverhampton City Primary Care Trust, Wolverhampton, UK.
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Gwinnett
authors: Wolverhampton City Primary Care Trust, Wolverhampton, UK.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Phillips
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality; D016208:Databases, Factual; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006779:Hospitals, Public; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D016019:Survival Analysis; D015996:Survival Rate