Colorectal cancer screening in Flanders : impact, challenges, and recommendations

Abstract: The Flemish population-based colorectal cancer (CRC) screening programme, initiated in October 2013, offers a free biennial faecal immunochemical test (FIT) to eligible individuals aged 50-74 years. This PhD research aimed to 1) Assess the programme’s impact on CRC incidence, mortality, and survival; 2) Investigate suboptimal response rates by exploring screening with outside tests, reasons for inconsistent participation, and population preferences for CRC screening; 3) Identify FIT interval cancer characteristics and explore strategies to optimize FIT cut-off and screening interval... Mehr ...