[Early diagnosis of colorectal cancer]

Abstract

Colorectal cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the world and the second most common and most frequently mentioned cause of cancer death in Poland. Death from colorectal cancer can be reduced through early diagnosis. Currently there are several screening methods: faecal occult blood tests, sigmoidoscopy, colonoscopy, barium enema and emerging methods like virtual colonoscopy and faecal DNA testing. In this article we show the efficacy of these tests with respect to their sensitivity, specificity, costs and safety. Patients at high-risk of colorectal cancer were also considered. There is an urgent need to standardize the methods of diagnosis in patients at high-risk to increasing accessibility and quality of tests.