Unit for the Early Detection of

Colorectal Cancer (CRC)

For the past ten years, this unit has worked toward the prevention of Colorectal Cancer (CRC). The Unit has the support of the Israel Cancer Association which funds a half time position for the Unit Coordinator. The Unit works both with the high-risk population (families of patients suffering from CRC, Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD) and women's post breast cancer surgery) and with the average risk population.

During the past seven years, with the cooperation of the Jerusalem Municipality, we have developed a community project geared toward the prevention of CRC -- Each year, a different neighborhood is chosen. Letters are individually mailed to persons between the ages of 45-70 years old, encouraging them to have sigmoidoscopies performed. As a result of this endeavor, we have now performed more than 1500 sigmoidoscopies in the neighborhood. The results have been very impressive: 20 colonic carcinomas (most of them early detection) and more than 120 persons with polyps were identified and treated successfully through this project.