Abstract
Background: Colorectal cancer is the third most common malignancy in the world and in Saudi Arabia it is the second most common cancer ranking first among men and third among women. In Saudi Arabia there are no screening programs on a national level that conduct organized screening of colon cancer. Moreover, the knowledge about colon cancer is poor.
 Aim: The aim of this study is to assess the knowledge and awareness of Saudi population about colon cancer.
 Methodology: The study consisted of a survey that was developed using a survey of previous study and after validation it was converted to online form and was distributed to be filled by the public.
 Results: Public awareness regarding colon cancer is suboptimal, improving colon cancer awareness with educational interventions is needed specially for vulnerable people.
 Conclusion: Serious active measures should be taken to fill the gap in awareness of this disease for the public and health care workers.
Highlights
Colorectal cancer is the third most common malignancy in the world [1] and is the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality in the United States [2]. its incidence is relatively low, colorectal cancer in Saudi Arabia is the second most common cancer ranking first among men and third among women [3]
Colorectal cancer survival is closely linked to the pathological and clinical stage at diagnosis, and several reports suggest that if colorectal cancer occurs at a young age it is associated with a higher mortality and more severe disease, which is of particular relevance to the Saudi Arabian people [5,6], the overall survival of Saudi colorectal cancer patients is approximately 44.6%, which is noticeably lower than the overall survival of US patients [3]
Zubaidi et al reported that the most common answer to when colorectal cancer screening should commence was at symptom onset [17]
Summary
Colorectal cancer is the third most common malignancy in the world [1] and is the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality in the United States [2]. Its incidence is relatively low, colorectal cancer in Saudi Arabia is the second most common cancer ranking first among men and third among women [3]. The World Health Organization reported the death rate from colorectal cancer in Saudi Arabia at 8.3% in 2004 [4]. The Saudi Cancer Registry reported that in a previous study about colorectal cancer, out of 1109 cases of cancer were diagnosed and registered, about 55.6 % of the patients were males and approximately 44.4% were females. Colorectal cancer is the third most common malignancy in the world and in Saudi Arabia it is the second most common cancer ranking first among men and third among women. Conclusion: Serious active measures should be taken to fill the gap in awareness of this disease for the public and health care workers
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
