The Basque Country’s colorectal cancer screening programme was associated with a 50 per cent reduction in mortality from this cause among adults aged 50 to 69
A study published in JAMA Network Open has examined whether the colorectal cancer screening programme based on faecal immunochemical testing, launched in the Basque Country, was associated with lower mortality from this cause over a 21-year period. The study — a retrospective, population-based cohort study — included all residents of the Basque Country (2.2 million people) between 2004 and 2024. The screening programme, aimed at people aged between 50 and 69, was launched in 2009. According to the study, screening was associated with a 50 per cent reduction in mortality from this cause among adults in that age group. Furthermore, a significant change in the trend was observed just three years after the programme began.
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