Public Awareness of Colon Cancer Symptoms, Risk Factor, and Screening at Madinah- KSA

Colon cancer ranks as one of the most incidental and death malignancies worldwide representing 9% of all new cancer cases worldwide and affecting more than 1 million people every year. Colon cancer is the best-understood tumor from a genetic perspective. In Saudi Arabia, CRC is the second most prevalent kind of cancer, which has been ranked as the first among men (10.6%) and the third among women (8.9%). In 2004, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported a mortality rate of CRC in Saudi Arabia as 8.3%. Colon cancer screening has proven to be beneficial in terms of occurrence and reduction of mortality in randomized controlled trials, and it has been recommended by medical organizations either in vulnerable groups or in populations at risk because of their family background. Although population-based CRC screening has been suggested emphatically in the average-risk population, compliance rates have not reached to the desirable rates, yet. In order to accomplish the screening campaign successfully, the target population should be very compliant. There are various factors which affect the colorectal cancer screening uptake, including 'sociodemographic', provider and health care system factors, and also psychosocial factors. For increasing the screening participation rate,  the target population should be aware of the benefits of  colorectal cancer screening.  Information about this disease and the ways to prevent it,  has been considered as a measure of public awareness in several studies. In some examinations, a positive relationship has been found between knowledge about colorectal cancer, risk perception, and attitudes (advantages and disadvantages of screening) and the population’s inclination to take part in the colorectal cancer screening campaign. The factors listed are therefore subject to interference. In fact, intervention studies focusing on the average population have attempted to increase the risk of colorectal cancer absorption by improving general knowledge and adjusting attitudes. In this paper, the factors that influence the targeting participants’ adherence to colorectal cancer screening and interventions in order to increase screening uptake, have been reviewed.