[Colorectal cancer screening: immunological test for faecal occult blood preferred]

In 2003, the European Commission advised the Member States to start colorectal cancer screening. More than 12 million Europeans have been tested to date, not only by means of faecal occult blood testing but often also by opportunistic endoscopy. Nearly all of the screening programmes concerned were opportunistic in nature. The Dutch government is currently considering the implementation of an organised screening programme for the detection of colorectal cancer. The question no longer seems to be whether a screening programme should be started but rather which screening test should be used. We argue that an immunological faecal occult blood test is to be preferred over other screening tests, such as endoscopy.