Knowledge and Awareness about Risk Factors of Colorectal Cancer and Perceived Barriers in its Screening: A cross sectional study design by Pharmacist

Colorectal cancer is the second most common cancer in Saudi Arabia after breast cancer. The present projct was designed to assess the knowledge and awareness of risk factors of colorectal cancer and perceived barriers in Asir, Saudi Arabia using a cross-sectional study design. This study was conducted with 370 participants who met the inclusion criteria. The questionnaire, which was validated in both English and Arabic, was developed through a comprehensive review of the literature and with the input of a multidisci-plinary team. The results of the study revealed that while a significant portion (73.2%) of the participants had heard of colorectal cancer, only 59.7% recognized it as a preventable disease. A surprisingly low number of participants (29.2%) confirmed that they were aware of any tests used to detect colon cancer, with only 8.1% knowing tests for early detection. The study found that family history was the most significant risk factor for colorectal cancer, but only 33.9% of the participants were aware of this fact. A higher number of partici-pants (60%) recognized blood in the stool or dark-colored stool as a prominent symptom of colorectal cancer. However, the overall awareness and knowledge about colorectal cancer (CRC) were poor among 60.5% of the participants, with fear of screening results being the most significant barrier. The study also showed that a significant relationship existed between personal data and knowledge and awareness regarding CRC, with younger participants p = 0.048) and those with a family history of CRC (66.7%) having greater knowledge about the disease (p =0 .001). This study concluded that the majority of participants had insufficient knowl-edge about colorectal cancer and its risk factors. The results showed that there was a statistically significant difference in the level of awareness regarding colorectal cancer between participants' age and family history of the disease. The study highlights the need for increased education and awareness programs to address these gaps in knowledge and understanding. Encourage health care providers to spread information to the general population about healthy lifestyles and cancer prevention, as well as undertake a further study into the hur-dles to CRC screening programs and misconceptions about them.