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Updated: Aug 10, 2026

Evaluation of Colorectal Cancer Risk and Prevalence by Stool DNA Integrity Detection
Published on: June 8, 2020
Positive family history promotes participation in colorectal cancer screening
11st Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia. tibor.hlavaty@zoznam.sk
Background:
Participation rates in colorectal cancer (CRC) screening are rather low. We evaluated the interest of first degree relatives (FDR) of CRC patients to participate in a colonoscopy screening and compared the findings to controls with a negative family history.
Methodology:
There were 235 CRC patients diagnosed in our centre in 1984-2001. These were mailed an invitation letter for a preventive examination for their FDR older than 40 years and a questionnaire about occurrence of malignancies in their family. Colonoscopy was performed in 52 FDR and sex/age matched controls.
Results:
The questionnaire was delivered to 196 patients. Thirty four (17.3%) patients responded. Positive family history for CRC was reported in 12/34 (35.3%) patients, compared to expected 3.4 patients (p = 0.04; OR 4.2; 95% CI = 1.05-17.89). Fifty two of 94 (55.3%) FDR participated in a screening and CRC was diagnosed in 2 and CRA in 18 patients compared to 1 CRC and 9 CRA in control group (p = 0.04; Kaplan-Meier p = 0.04).
Conclusions:
Positive family history seems to be a motivation factor for a participation in a CRC screening program. Consistent with previous studies the prevalence of CRA and CRC was significantly higher in the group of FDR compared to controls (Tab. 3, Fig. 1, Ref. 20).
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