Assessment of Jordanian Patient’s Colorectal Cancer Awareness and Preferences towards CRC Screening: Are Jordanians Ready to Embrace CRC Screening?

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC is increasingly becoming a major cause of cancer morbidity andmortality in Jordan. However the population’s level of awareness about CRC, CRC screening test preferencesand willingness to embrace screening are not known. The aim of this study was to assess the level of CRCawareness and screening preferences among Jordanian patients. Materials and
Methods: A survey assessing theCRC knowledge levels was distributed among patients attending outpatient gastroenterology clinics in publichospitals throughout Jordan. A total of 800 surveys were distributed and of these 713 (89.1%) were returned.
Results: Only 22% of the participants correctly judged CRC among the choices provided as the commonestcause of cancer related deaths. The majority of participants (68.3%) underestimated their risk for CRC. Only26.8% correctly judged their life time risk while 5% overestimated their risk. Two thirds of participants (66%)were willing to pay 500 Jordanian Dinars (equivalent to 706 US$) in order to get a prompt colonoscopy ifrecommended by their physician, while 25.5% reported that they would rather wait for 6 months in order to get afree colonoscopy.
Conclusions: Although the participants tended to underestimate their risk for CRC, they weremostly aware of CRC as a major cause of mortality and were willing to embrace the concept of CRC screeningand bear the related financial costs. These findings about CRC awareness and propensity for screening providea good foundation as the Jordanian health system moves forward with initiatives to promote CRC screeningand prevention.