Table 1 Knowledge and beliefs of primary care professionals about colorectal cancer, cancer screening programmes in general, and colorectal cancer screening in particular
Questions | Answers | Total (%) | Physicians (%) | Nurses (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Colorectal cancer is the most common cancer in both sexes together | I agree | 58.5 | 69.0 | 47.1 |
| Â | I disagree | 17.9 | 17.8 | 18.1 |
| Â | I don't know | 23.6 | 13.2 | 34.8 |
Colorectal cancer is one of the three leading causes of death from cancer | I agree | 77.6 | 87,5 | 66,9 |
| Â | I disagree | 8.7 | 7.3 | 10.2 |
| Â | I don't know | 13.7 | 5.2 | 22.9 |
About half of all people who have colorectal cancer are still alive 5 years after the diagnosis | I agree | 69.6 | 80.1 | 58.3 |
| Â | I disagree | 8.1 | 8.3 | 8.0 |
| Â | I don't know | 22.3 | 11.6 | 33.7 |
The early diagnosis of colorectal cancer, before the onset of symptoms, is a prognostic factor | I agree | 90.5 | 95.4 | 85.0 |
| Â | I disagree | 4.0 | 2.5 | 5.7 |
| Â | I don't know | 5.5 | 2.1 | 9.3 |
The rapid diagnosis of colorectal cancer, after the onset of symptoms, is a prognostic factor | I agree | 80.9 | 84.3 | 76.0 |
| Â | I disagree | 11.5 | 12.5 | 10.4 |
| Â | I don't know | 7.6 | 3.2 | 12.8 |
The location of the colorectal cancer (colon or rectum) is a prognostic factor | I agree | 70.2 | 71.0 | 69.3 |
| Â | I disagree | 10.7 | 14.3 | 6.0 |
| Â | I don't know | 19.1 | 14.8 | 24.6 |
Population screening programmes target asymptomatic subjects of specific age groups | I agree | 87.1 | 93.4 | 80.2 |
| Â | I disagree | 5.0 | 3.7 | 6.3 |
| Â | I don't know | 8.0 | 2.9 | 13.5 |
The purpose of a population screening programme is to reduce the mortality rate | I agree | 85.4 | 86.9 | 83.7 |
| Â | I disagree | 11.0 | 10.4 | 11.6 |
| Â | I don't know | 3.7 | 2.8 | 4.7 |
A screening programme's effectiveness depends on the % of the population that participates in it | I agree | 70.0 | 76.5 | 63.0 |
| Â | I disagree | 14.4 | 13.2 | 15.7 |
| Â | I don't know | 15.6 | 10.3 | 21.3 |
Prostate cancer screening by testing for prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is... | Effective | 76.4 | 64.8 | 88.8 |
| Â | Ineffective | 20.4 | 34.1 | 5.9 |
| Â | I don't know | 3.2 | 1.1 | 5.3 |
Breast cancer screening by means of mammography is... | Effective | 98.3 | 99.2 | 97.4 |
| Â | Ineffective | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.7 |
| Â | I don't know | 1.1 | 0.3 | 1.9 |
Lung cancer screening by means of CAT scans is... | Effective | 78 | 67.2 | 89.5 |
| Â | Ineffective | 15.3 | 27.1 | 2.7 |
| Â | I don't know | 6.7 | 5.7 | 7.7 |
Screening for colorectal cancer by means of rectal examination is... | Effective | 60.1 | 57.3 | 63 |
| Â | Ineffective | 30.1 | 39.5 | 20 |
| Â | I don't know | 9.9 | 3.3 | 17 |
Screening for colorectal cancer by testing for occult blood in stools (FOBT) is... | Effective | 83.9 | 83.1 | 84.7 |
| Â | Ineffective | 11.3 | 15.1 | 7.1 |
| Â | I don't know | 4.9 | 1.8 | 8.2 |
Screening for colorectal cancer by means of colonoscopy is... | Effective | 96.3 | 97.7 | 94.6 |
| Â | Ineffective | 1.0 | 1.6 | 0.3 |
| Â | I don't know | 2.8 | 0.6 | 5 |
The FOBT is too risky to be a screening test | I agree | 4.3 | 3.0 | 5.7 |
| Â | I disagree | 83.3 | 92.4 | 72.7 |
| Â | I don't know | 12.5 | 4.6 | 21.5 |
Colonoscopy is too risky to be a screening test | I agree | 33.4 | 36.6 | 29.8 |
| Â | I disagree | 48.9 | 54.2 | 42.9 |
| Â | I don't know | 17.6 | 9.2 | 27.4 |