Evaluation of Pilot Colorectal Cancer Screening Programs in Iran

Background and Objectives: Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in men and the second most common cancer in women in the world. The colorectal cancer screening program was conducted in Iran as a pilot in the late 2010 with the aim of reducing the burden of colorectal cancer. The aim of this study was to evaluate the colorectal cancer screening program in Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on data from the pilot colorectal cancer screening programs. First, the indicators of the colorectal cancer screening program were determined through a comprehensive review of scientific databases, interviews with experts and implementation of pilot evaluation. Then, the indicators were calculated through descriptive analysis using SPSS version 18. Results: The indicators and their values were as follows: coverage rate 33.04%, participation rate 53.3%, percentage of consulted people 99.6%, percentage of blood samples 37%, percentage of colonoscopy 54.8%, cancer detection rate 2.7%, and polyp detection rate 18.1%. Among people who gave blood samples 1.6% had familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) syndrome, 43.06% had hereditary no polyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) syndrome, and 29% were sporadic cases. Conclusion: The screening program in Iran has differences with other countries which have affected the indicators