Evaluation of knowledge and attitudes of the patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer is one of the most common cause of cancer related deaths worldwide. Screening tests are used to detect colorectal cancer at an early stage and to prevent cancer developing. Taking into account the country's infrastructure and facilities, each country has created its own ideal screening program. The spread of participation in screening programs to the general population is an important factor for screening success. The aim of this study was to determine the knowledge and attitudes of the patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer for screening and to determine the reasons for this in non-screening patients. Patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer who were newly diagnosed or followed in the Oncology Outpatient Clinic and General Surgery Clinic of Uludag University Medical Faculty between 15.03.2019-15.07.2019 were included in the study. Demographic data, nutritional status, habits, chronic diseases, drugs used, colorectal cancer screening knowledge level and undergoing screening status questionnaire interviewed face-to-face with got approval patients and the answers were recorded in the questionnaire form. Of the 60 patients included in the study, no patients were diagnosed after screening was determined. 10% (n = 6) of the patients had a history of colorectal cancer in their first degree relatives. It was found that 68.3% (n = 41) of the patients did not hear colorectal cancer screening before, and 91.7% (n = 55) did not mention colorectal cancer screening by physicians when applying to a health institution before diagnosis. It was found that 48.3% (n = 29) of the patients did not feel any physical complaints and 43.3% (n = 26) because of lack of information about screening tests did not have screening. The reasons for not having other screening tests were 5% (n = 3), fear of negative results, 1.7% (n = 1), fear of privacy and privacy, and 1.7% (n = 1) time limit for screening tests. No significant relationship was found between the socioeconomic status of the patients and the reasons for not screening. According to the data obtained from our study, the level of information about colorectal cancer screening was found to be very low. It was found that the patients included in the study did not receive sufficient information before the diagnosis in the health institutions. Given the importance of physician-patient collaboration in compliance with cancer screening, informing patients by the physician will enable the desired screening rates in colorectal cancers to be achieved. Keywords: colorectal cancer, screening, knowledge and attitude.