Population screening for colorectal carcinoma with fecal-occult blood testing : Are we sufficiently informed?
✍ Scribed by Michael V. Agrez; Michael Coory; Jill Cockburn
- Publisher
- John Wiley and Sons
- Year
- 1998
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 66 KB
- Volume
- 82
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0008-543X
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
✦ Synopsis
T he results of three randomized controlled trials to evaluate the effectiveness of fecal-occult blood (FOB) testing for colorectal carcinoma have been reported. [1][2][3] Two trials of population-based, biennial FOB screening have reported similar results and have led to the claim that the reduction in mortality achieved by this method currently cannot be achieved by any other preventive measure. 1 In our view, this claim remains unproven. Before nationwide mass screening programs are introduced for average-risk individuals (persons with no risk factors for colorectal carcinoma except for advancing age), educational strategies need to be attempted quite independent of any appeal to undergo screening with FOB tests. Knowledge deficits of individuals who are not health-conscious are likely to include uncertainties regarding the curability of colorectal carcinoma as well as a limited understanding of risk factors, lifetime risks, survival rates, dietary recommendations, relevant symptoms, and preventive strategies. A national commitment to educational strategies that enhances adoption of appropriate attitudes and beliefs regarding this disease that lead to effective protective behavior may achieve the same or better survival probabilities for colorectal carcinoma in the general population at far less cost than can be achieved by means of biennial mass screening programs.