Colorectal cancer screening in the Czech Republic

The epidemiology of colorectal cancer (CRC) in the Czech Republic is extremely unfavourable. The alarmingly high rates of incidence (79/100,000) and mortality (45/100,000) (Fig.1) have practically remained unchanged in recent years. It is unclear to what extent this reflects a generally unfavourable genetic heritage, environmental factors or the dietary habits of the Czech population. The Czech Society of Gastroenterology launched a population-based CRC screening program in 2000. The FOBT became the standard procedure for a biannual screening examination performed by the general practitioners. A colonoscopy follows in the event of a positive FOBT result. In three screening rounds in 2001, 2002 and 2005, the FOBTs of 6.4% out of a total of 535,248 participants yielded positive results. 0.33% of all participants were diagnosed with a carcinoma, 1.9% with an adenoma. The acceptance and detection rates doubled between 2001 and 2005.