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Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) accounts for 9% of all new cancer cases worldwide and affects over 1 million people each year. Screening can reduce the mortality associated with the disease, yet participation rates are suboptimal. Compliers with CRC screening are less deprived; they have higher education than noncompliers and tend to be male, white and married. Likely reasons for nonparticipation encompass several ‘modifiable’ factors that could be targeted in interventions aimed at increasing participation rates. Successful intervention strategies include organizational changes, such as increasing access to fecal occult blood test (FOBT) kits, providing reminders to healthcare providers or users about screening opportunities, and educational strategies to improve awareness and attitudes towards CRC screening. Multifactor interventions that target more than one level of the screening process are likely to have larger effects. The biggest challenge for future research will be to reduce inequalities related to socio–economic position and ethnicity in the uptake of screening.
Financial & competing interests disclosure
The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.
No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.
Notes
CRC: Colorectal cancer; SES: Socio–economic status.