Colorectal cancer is among the most common types of cancer worldwide. Population-based screening programs for breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer have been introduced as part of cancer control in many high-income countries. Population-based cancer screening programs do not exist in most low- and middle-income countries. There are some studies that report the awareness of colorectal cancer in Turkey.

Colorectal cancer is the third most common type of cancer in both men and women. According to World Health Organization data, in 2012, 694 thousand people were thought to be due to colorectal cancer and this number increased to 862 thousand people in 2018. Especially in most low- and middle-income countries where cancers are mainly detected through very-late-stage symptoms and many are not reported. Recent researches may lead to new approaches to early detection and treatment using improved awareness of the symptomatic disease and population-based screening of asymptomatic people. The increasing of colorectal cancer awareness could help early detection of colorectal cancers. In this study, the investigators aimed to determine the level of awareness of colorectal cancer and knowledge about colorectal cancer screenings in patients who applied to general surgery outpatients clinic where a colorectal cancer diagnosis was most frequently diagnosed.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients who apply to the general surgery outpatients clinic

Exclusion Criteria:

• Younger than 18 years old
• Older than 80 years old
• Mental retardation or other mental illness
• Refusing to join the study

Patients who apply to the general surgery outpatient clinic with any diseases.

In case of request individual participant data could be shared with other researchers