The fight against colorectal cancer begins with screening, a tool that aims to intercept precancerous lesions represented by polyps of the large intestine or tumors in an early stage of the disease. According to the doctors of the Italian Association of Hospital Gastroenterologists and Endoscopists, a significant percentage of recovery with survival of up to 90% of cases is often the result of an early diagnosis of the problem.
However, only 34.1% of the target population, aged between 50-74 years, invited to undergo the test for occult blood in the faeces, took part in the latest prevention campaign. Aware of the value of early diagnosis, Aigo promoted the survey “Factors influencing the outcomes of organized colorectal cancer screening in Italy” in the first months of the year, which involved over 50 hospital facilities in 16 Italian regions. “The survey arises from the consideration that the degree of participation in colorectal cancer screening in Italy is significantly heterogeneous – states Marco Soncini President of Aigo and Director of the ASST Lecco Medical Department – generally the regions of central and northern Italy achieve higher performances higher (40-50%) than those in the south and the islands (10-15%)”. Multiple elements contribute to determining whether or not to participate in colorectal cancer screening. Preliminary data shows that 21% of the hospital centers participating in the project belong to regional entities with recent activation of screening campaigns (<5 years), a figure that gives rise to hope, especially in the south of the peninsula. The methods of invitation to participate in the screening are also different, paper sending still prevails with 87%, while the use of information brochures stands at 23%. In terms of the organizational performance of the centres, "the data indicate a growing adaptation of hospital staff and structures, as well as the introduction of new technologies". In these centers, 85% of the medical staff and 69% of the nursing staff are qualified for screening. 96% of centers have high-definition endoscopes and artificial intelligence is used in 25% of cases. All the hospitals involved carry out sedation and the examination is complete in 96% of cases.
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