Surgeons' views about colorectal cancer screening before and after national guidelines

To the Editor: In November 1999, the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) released Guidelines for the prevention, early detection and management of colorectal cancer.1 One chapter addressed screening for colorectal cancer (CRC), citing Level 1 evidence in support of faecal occult blood testing (FOBT) as the preferred modality for population-based CRC screening. Colonoscopy and sigmoidoscopy were not recommended. In a postal survey conducted in 1998, before release of these guidelines, we found mixed views among Australian surgeons about CRC screening.2