Community-based colorectal cancer screening trials with multi-ethnic groups: a systematic review

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Preventive Medicine
• Health Disparities

Background:

• Colorectal cancer screening rates remain suboptimal, with significant disparities among racial and ethnic groups.
• Community-based interventions are crucial for improving screening uptake and addressing these disparities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and synthesize findings from community-based colorectal cancer screening randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving multi-ethnic populations.
• To identify effective intervention strategies for increasing colorectal cancer screening rates.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature search of PubMed and Ovid Medline databases (2001-2009).
• Inclusion criteria: community-based RCTs, multi-ethnic participants, specific colorectal cancer screening tests, English language.
• Categorization of interventions into Patient mailings, Telephone outreach, Electronic/multimedia, and Counseling/community education.

Main Results:

• 11 out of 15 (73%) studies demonstrated increased screening rates in intervention groups.
• Patient mailings (100%) and Telephone outreach (100%) were highly effective.
• Counseling/community education (80%) and Electronic/multimedia (25%) showed varying success rates.

Conclusions:

• Community-based interventions, particularly patient mailings and telephone outreach, are effective in increasing colorectal cancer screening rates.
• Tailoring information and offering patient choice are critical components for successful interventions.
• Future research should incorporate community-level factors and social context to further reduce colorectal cancer incidence.