Alrubaiy Laith, Al-Rubaye Ali, Alrudainy Wisam, Al-Hawaz Mazen H, Mahmoud Raja A, Saunders Brian P
Gastroenterology Department, Swansea University Medical School, Swansea SA8 2PP, UK.
Medical Research Unit, Basra Health Directorate, Basra 289, Iraq.
J Pers Med. 2023 Jan 19;13(2):173. doi: 10.3390/jpm13020173.
Data on current colorectal cancer screening practices in Iraq are limited. This study aimed to better understand the current colorectal cancer screening practice and perceived barriers. The project also aimed to use UK expertise to introduce Bowel Cancer Screening Programme (BCSP) in Basra, Iraq. The study consisted of two parts: A pre-visit online survey of clinicians to test the project's feasibility. A public survey was conducted to understand and gauge the general knowledge and perceived barriers to having colorectal cancer screening. The second phase included a short visit to Basra and the delivery of a multidisciplinary meeting for bowel screening colonoscopists. Fifty healthcare providers completed the survey. Basra has no established bowel cancer screening programme, let alone the country. Opportunistic colonoscopy surveillance is done on an ad hoc base. A total of 350 individuals completed the public survey. The survey showed that more than 50% of participants were not familiar with the concept of a BCSP and less than 25% were aware of "red flag" symptoms of bowel cancer. The short visit to Basra included a roundtable discussion and delivered a training workshop for screening colonoscopists using UK training materials in conjunction with the Iraqi Medical Association. Feedback from the course was extremely positive. Several potential barriers were identified to participate in BCSP. The study highlighted potential barriers, including a lack of public awareness and insufficient training resources to be addressed in future screening programmes. The study has identified several potential areas for future collaboration to support the development of a BCSP centre in Basra.
关于伊拉克目前结直肠癌筛查实践的数据有限。本研究旨在更好地了解当前结直肠癌筛查实践及感知到的障碍。该项目还旨在利用英国的专业知识在伊拉克巴士拉引入肠癌筛查计划（BCSP）。该研究包括两个部分：对临床医生进行访前在线调查以测试项目的可行性。开展一项公众调查以了解和评估关于进行结直肠癌筛查的一般知识及感知到的障碍。第二阶段包括对巴士拉进行一次短暂访问，并为肠道筛查结肠镜检查人员举办一次多学科会议。50名医疗保健提供者完成了调查。巴士拉没有既定的肠癌筛查计划，更不用说伊拉克全国了。机会性结肠镜监测是临时进行的。共有350人完成了公众调查。调查显示，超过50%的参与者不熟悉BCSP的概念，不到25%的人知晓肠癌的“红旗”症状。对巴士拉的短暂访问包括一次圆桌讨论，并结合伊拉克医学协会使用英国培训材料为筛查结肠镜检查人员举办了一个培训讲习班。该课程的反馈非常积极。确定了参与BCSP的几个潜在障碍。该研究强调了潜在障碍，包括公众意识不足和培训资源不足，这些将在未来的筛查计划中加以解决。该研究确定了几个未来合作的潜在领域，以支持在巴士拉建立一个BCSP中心。
