Objectives: People at high risk of colorectal cancer, due to familial or personal history, or to specific symptoms, are considered not to be concerned by mass screening by Haemoccult test. The aim of this study was to investigate people aged 50 to 74 with high risk of colorectal cancer among general practitioners' practices in the department of Calvados (France).
Methods: A random sample of 200 general practitioners were asked to systematically fill out a questionnaire on Haemoccult II proposal for 50-74 year-old patients for a whole week.
Results: Participation rate of general practitioners was 58.5%. According to our findings, 13% of 50-74 years patients are considered not be concerned by mass screening, due to familial or personal history, or to specific symptoms.
Conclusions: Colorectal cancer screening protocol have to be fit to level of risk of colorectal cancer. Involvement of general practitioners in colorectal cancer mass screening allows identification of high risk people who can then be managed with a more suitable screening protocol.