TY - JOUR T1 - REsults of a television-advertised public screening program for colorectal cancer AU - McGarrity TJ, Long PA, Peiffer LP, Converse JO, Kreig AF Y1 - 1989/01/01 N1 - 10.1001/archinte.1989.00390010128017 JO - Archives of Internal Medicine SP - 140 EP - 144 VL - 149 IS - 1 N2 - • We report the results of a free, television-advertised mass screening program for colorectal cancer using stool guaiac kits. A total of 57000 test kits were picked up and 29619 (53%) were returned; 3.9% (1165) of the tests were positive. Ninety-three percent of persons with a positive screen sought medical evaluation after screening. Detailed follow-up was available on 744 persons. Fifty-eight persons had large-bowel carcinomas diagnosed, 80% of which were localized. One hundred sixty persons had adenomatous polyps removed. Forty percent of cancers and 58% of polyps were detected in persons with only one or two positive test slides out of a total of six. In 33% of persons with a positive screen, the diagnostic workup consisted of a repeated stool guaiac test and/or sigmoidoscopy only. A major drawback to improving the results of mass screening programs for colorectal cancer is the limited gastrointestinal workup conducted by physicians in many persons with a positive fecal occult blood test.(Arch Intern Med 1989;149:140-144) SN - 0003-9926 M3 - doi: 10.1001/archinte.1989.00390010128017 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archinte.1989.00390010128017 ER -