Abstract
Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is an important cause of mortality in Saudi Arabia. Recent studies showed that the Saudi patients are more likely to present at advanced stages when compared to Western countries.
Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate general awareness of colorectal cancer and its screening in Saudi Arabia.
Subjects and Methods: The study was conducted in the Surgery Departments in Saudi Arabia. A total of 200 patients who were complaining of lower gastrointestinal symptoms participated in our study. Each participant responded to a self-administered questionnaire requesting information about age, gender, level of education, and knowledge about CRC, and its screening and prevention.
Results: About 37% males and 41% females know about CRC (p= 0.478). A total of 78 participants (39%) heard about CRC screening and 58% of these performed the screening tests. The educational level has a significant association was knowledge about CRC. The majority of the higher graduated (67.2%) know about the screening methods whereas only 10.4% of those who received lower education heard about them (p < 0.001). Knowledge about preventive measures was significantly related to both gender (p= 0.006) and the educational attainment (p=0.015).
Conclusion: The results demonstrated deficiency of knowledge with regard to CRC and its screening methods. Educational programs are highly recommended to increase awareness of the community about this disease.