Berndt Birkner

Lecture Abstract

Men in Men´s World

Data from the German colorectal screening program shows that male have a higher prevalence of advanced adenoma and colorectal cancer. Nevertheless, men have lower acceptance rates for colorectal cancer screening.

On the occasion of the colorectal cancer awareness month March 2008, Felix Burda Foundation, Network against Colorectal Cancer and the State Department of Health of Baden-Württemberg conducted a colorectal cancer screening campaign in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg focussed on men. The background of this campaign consists of the preferred habits of men for caring for themselves. Men are more interested in the care of their cars than in the care of their health.

In Germany it is mandatory to check a car every two years in a certified garage for security reasons. The partner of our campaign was the DEKRA certification company, which holds more than 180 checking points in Germany.  On two days in March costumers of the DEKRA check points were informed by flyers of the colorectal screening program. The campaign was announced in the local newspaper Gastroenterologists were present to answer in depth questions on the screening methods e.g. colonoscopy and fecal occult blood testing. Mostly men were attending the information.

In Munich a famous racing car pilot , Hans-Joachim Stuck , son of the famous Hans Stuck, who won nearly all hill climb racings in the 50tees, joined the information campaign.

More than 200 men could be informed in Stuttgart and Munich, respectively. Some of them decided to go to screening colonoscopy. In combination with the information campaign, the certificate of the preferred screening clinic and screening practice issued by the DEKRA certification company was presented. The certificate guarantees a safe, clean and painless colonoscopy, in order to increase the confidence of the screened in the procedure http://www.sicher-sauber-schmerzfrei.de/dekra-siegel.htm .

Gastroenterology at Max Weber Place, Einsteinstreet 1, D-81675 Munich, birkner@die-gastroenterologie.de

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