Introduction

The burden of colorectal cancer in Europe is severe and increasing, and there is political as well as some medical impetus in the direction of nationwide screening programs. The specific strategies for screening vary, however, indicating the lack of hard evidence on the best choice. Even more variation is seen in the choice of tactics for implementing the strategy chosen. The challenge of motivating the public to adhere to screening programs is daunting, and different countries choose widely different strategies to accomplish this.

The United European Gastroenterology Federation (UEGF) Public Affairs Committee, under the chairmanship of Professor Keighley, has been addressing the issue of colorectal cancer screening for several years, as has the European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ESGE) through the coordinating efforts of Professor Hagenmüller. These two initiatives have now joined forces to focus specifically on the message of the screening campaigns - what to say, but even more, how to say it. Through the efforts of the participating experts, and especially the workgroup chairmen, we hope to deliver a joint document with useful strategies for screening implementation throughout Europe.

On this background, the first meeting on colorectal screening campaigns, the Public/Professional Interface Workshop, was organized in Oslo, June 20 - 22 2003. The meeting was a joint venture of the UEGF Public Affairs Committee and the ESGE, and a total of 46 topic experts were invited to discuss specific ”message” issues of screening campaigns.

The core of the meeting consisted of four topic groups that discussed and formulated documents for subsequent plenary presentation and consideration during the last day of the meeting. These documents were further revised by the groups after the meeting, and I am happy to present the resulting reports here in Endoscopy.

Lars Aabakken
Chairman, Local Organizing Committee

Dr. Lars Aabakken