Colorectal cancer screening behaviors of general surgeons and first-degree family members: a survey-based study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Colorectal cancer (CRC) screening rates are low in the general population and among health care providers. The aim of this study was to evaluate the CRC screening practices of general surgeons who provide specialized diagnostic testing and CRC treatment and to examine the CRC screening behaviors of their first-degree family members.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey was conducted among general surgeons who attended the 21st National Surgical Congress in Turkey held from April 11th to 15th, 2018. The survey included items on demographics, screening-related attitude, CRC screening options, barriers to CRC screening, and surgeons' annual volumes of CRC cases.

Results

A total of 530 respondents completed the survey. Almost one-third of the responding surgeons (29.4%, n?=?156) were aged over 50?years, among whom approximately half (47.1%, n?=?74) reported having undergone CRC screening and preferring a colonoscopy as the screening modality (78.4%). Among general surgeons aged 50?years and older, high-volume surgeons (?25 CRC cases per year) were more likely to undergo screening compared with low-volume surgeons (ConclusionThe survey results demonstrated that routine screening for CRC among surgeons and/or their first-degree relatives is currently not performed at the desired level. However, high-volume surgeons are more likely to participate in routine screening.

SUBMITTER: Celik SU 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6852782 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature