Colorectal Cancer—The Worst Enemy Is the One We Do Not Know

Q: What was the aim of the study?

To determine the knowledge of the Polish population about colorectal cancer morbidity, symptoms, prevention, and perceived availability of knowledge.

Q: How was the study conducted and who participated?

In 2020, an online questionnaire was used to assess Polish residents’ awareness; the research group included 633 participants.

Q: Which factors influenced the respondents’ awareness level?

Awareness was significantly influenced by demographic factors such as gender and age and by social factors such as education level and professional situation (p<0.05).

Sep 24, 2026

Upload by anakgang17

Colorectal cancer is among the most frequently diagnosed malignancies and a leading cause of cancer mortality globally, with deaths occurring largely due to late diagnosis. Screening and public awareness of symptoms are therefore critical. This study assessed Polish residents’ knowledge regarding colorectal cancer morbidity, symptoms, prevention, and perceived availability of knowledge. A 2020 online questionnaire (n=633) evaluated awareness across socio-demographic factors, showing significant influences of gender and age and also of education level and professional situation (p<0.05).

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages11

Reading Time28 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Global epidemiology and mortality trends

Risk factors and symptoms

Poland-specific burden and prior knowledge

Article Colorectal Cancer—The Worst Enemy Is the One We Do Not Know Marzena Furtak-Niczyporuk 1,*, Witold Zardzewiały 2,*, Dawid Balicki 2, Radosław Bernacki 2, Gabriela Jaworska 2, Marta Kozłowska 2 and Bartłomiej Drop 3 Citation: Furtak-Niczyporuk, M.; Zardzewiały, W.; Balicki, D.; Bernacki, R.; Jaworska, G.; Kozłowska, M.; Drop, B. Colorectal Cancer—The Worst Enemy Is the One We Do Not Know. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20, 1866. [https://](https://)[ ](https://)[doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20031866](doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20031866) Academic Editor: Maryam Hashemian Received: 23 November 2022 Revised: 31 December 2022 Accepted: 5 January 2023 Published: 19 January 2023 Copyright: © 2023 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license ([https://](https://)[ ](https://)[creativecommons.org/licenses/by/](creativecommons.org/licenses/by/)[ ](creativecommons.org/licenses/by/)[4.0/](4.0/)) . 1 Department of Public Health, Medical University of Lublin, Chod´zki Street 1, 20-093 Lublin, Poland 2 Student Scientiﬁc Association, Department of Public Health, Medical University of Lublin, Chod´zki Street 1, 20-093 Lublin, Poland 3 Department of Medical Informatics and Statistics with E-Learning Laboratory, Medical University of Lublin, 20-059 Lublin, Poland * [Correspondence: marzenafurtakniczyporuk@umlub.pl](Correspondence: marzenafurtakniczyporuk@umlub.pl) (M.F.-N.); [witold.zardzewialy@gmail.com](witold.zardzewialy@gmail.com) (W.Z.) Abstract: Background: Colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancers in humans. It is the third most frequently diagnosed malignant neoplasm and is the second highest cause of cancer mortality in the world. Every year, more and more people die of colorectal cancer because the diagnosis is conducted too late. This shows how important a role screening tests and the awareness of the population about the symptoms play in this aspect. This article aimed to determine the knowledge of the Polish population about morbidity, symptoms, prevention, and subjective feelings about the level of availability of knowledge about colorectal cancer. Methods: In 2020, a study was conducted using an online questionnaire assessing the awareness of the Polish population about colorectal cancer. A self-authored questionnaire including questions about socio-demographic characteristics, and 18 questions related to substantive issues, was used. A research group was selected (n = 633) . The substantive part of the questionnaire included questions examining the respondents' knowledge about morbidity, symptoms, prevention, and subjective feelings about the level of availability of knowledge about colorectal cancer. Results: The respondents' awareness level was inﬂuenced by demographic factors, such as gender: (p < 0.05) and age (p < 0.05) and social factors, such as: level of education (p < 0.05) or professional situation (p < 0.05) . Compared to thematic articles from other countries, the research group was divided into smaller subgroups due to the abovementioned factors, due to which it was possible to stratify and analyze the signiﬁcance of differences between them. Keywords: colorectal cancer; questionnaire; knowledge; awareness; screening 1. Introduction Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most frequently diagnosed cancer among men and the second most frequently diagnosed cancer among women. In 2020, there were almost 1.9 million cases worldwide, and it is one of the most common causes of death among cancer patients in the world. CRC is a cancer whose incidence is systematically increasing throughout the year. The risk of developing this disease varies around the world and it differs depending on the geographic region; however, it is more common in middle and highly developed countries [1] . The main cause of high mortality among patients is the lack

FAQs

What was the aim of the study?

To determine the knowledge of the Polish population about colorectal cancer morbidity, symptoms, prevention, and perceived availability of knowledge.

How was the study conducted and who participated?

In 2020, an online questionnaire was used to assess Polish residents’ awareness; the research group included 633 participants.

Which factors influenced the respondents’ awareness level?

Awareness was significantly influenced by demographic factors such as gender and age and by social factors such as education level and professional situation (p<0.05).

Sep 24, 2026

Upload by anakgang17