[Preliminary results of a mass screening program for colorectal cancer]

The Digestive Tumours Registry of Burgundy set up a study to assess acceptability and results of colorectal cancers screening using the Hemoccult test. A total of 95,000 people, aged 45 to 74, were included, 55,000 in 1988 and 40,000 in 1989. The aim of this paper is to report the results of the first screening process in the population tested from January to July 1988, i.e. 27,421 subjects. Information on colorectal cancer was mailed to all homes in the screening areas and a news campaign was organized. During the first 4 months, the general practitioners (GPs) either prescribed the test which was then reimbursed (Autun area), or gave it free to their patients (other areas). After that phase, the test was mailed to all subjects who had not consulted their GP, and a second letter was sent 1 month later when the test had not been sent back. A total of 14,603 subjects performed the Hemoccult test (53.3 percent). Acceptability was higher in those areas there the test was initially given free by the GPs (57.3 percent) than in those where it was prescribed (40.0 percent). Acceptability was higher in women (55.8 percent) than in men (50.6 percent). A total of 57.8 percent of the performed tests were done during the medical offer phase, 29.1 percent after mailing and 13.1 percent after the recall letter. There was a positive test in 340 subjects (2.3 percent) and 288 (84.7 percent) had colonic investigations, a colonoscopy in 99 percent of the cases.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)