Background and 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.
Patients and 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%).
Conclusion: 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.