Colorectal cancer screening: 20 years of development and recent progress

Table 2 Characteristics of selected fecal occult blood test colorectal cancer screening projects including personal invitations

Country	Age group (yr), test	Time period	Procedure in personal invitation	Participation rate	Source
Studies and pilot projects
England	50-69	2000-2004	Centralized invitations by the screening unit	F: 59%	Weller et al[67], 2007
	gFOBT		Sending fecal occult blood test (FOBT) test kits	SM: 48%	UKCRCSPG[66], 2004
				SW: 56%
France	50-74	2003-2006	Centralized invitations according to sickness fund database files	FM: 54%	Denis et al[59], 2007
	gFOBT		Invitation to general practitioners (GP), reminder after 6 mo, FOBT kit reminder 4 mo later	FW: 57%
			Exclusions by GP: serious illness, recent colorectal cancer (CRC) screening, high CRC risk
Netherlands	50-74	2006-2007	Centralized invitations	gFOBT:	Hol et al[60], 2010
	gFOBT, FIT		Exclusions: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), CRC, recent CRC screening	50%
			Pre-invitation, sending test kits after 2 wk, reminder after 6 wk	FIT: 62%
Scotland	50-69	2000-2007	Centralized invitations by the screening center	FM: 50%, FW: 60%	Steele et al[65], 2009
	gFOBT		Sending FOBT test kits	SM: 49%, SW: 57%
			Reminder-second kit-after 6 wk (kit in first round only)
Spain	50-69	Since 2000	Centralized invitations	FM: 17%, FW: 18%	Peris et al[64], 2007
	gFOBT		Exclusions: CRC, adenoma, high CRC risk	SM: 21%, SW: 24%
			Invitation-reply-sending test kit, reminder after 6 wk
Population-based screening programs
England	60-69	Since 2006	Centralized invitations by the screening center	M: 50%	Logan et al[61], 2012
	gFOBT		People registered with a GP practice	W: 54%
			Sending FOBT test kits
Finland	60-69	Since 2004	Centralized invitations by the national screening center	FM: 62%, FW: 77%	Malila et al[48], 2011
	gFOBT		using Population Register Center	SM: 68%, SW: 80%	Malila et al[63], 2008
			Sending FOBT test kits		Malila et al[62], 2005

F: First round of screening; S: Second round of screening; M: Men; W: Women; gFOBT: Guaiac fecal occult blood test; FIT: Fecal immunochemical test.