Making Colorectal Cancer Screening Easier to Access
Colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancers — and at the same time, one of the most preventable ones. Early detection is critical: if a tumor is identified at an early stage, the chances of cure can be as high as 90% [2]. Still, many eligible people in Germany and elsewhere do not take part in screening regularly. Beyond structural barriers, participation depends heavily on how clearly people are informed, how easily screening options can be integrated into everyday life, and on socio-cultural aspects [3] [4].
This is exactly where the collaboration between Netzwerk gegen Darmkrebs e.V. (Network Against Colorectal Cancer) and Preventis GmbH makes a difference. Founded in 2001, the national network is recognized as one of Germany’s leading independent nonprofit organizations dedicated to colorectal cancer prevention. It connects key decision-makers and opinion leaders from medicine, science, public health, and policy to accelerate the adoption of scientific knowledge into real-world prevention strategies that actually reach people. Its long-term goal is clear: to significantly reduce the approximately 26,000 colorectal cancer deaths recorded in Germany each year [1].
Worplace Health Programmes Help Raise Participation
The impact of this collaboration is particularly evident in workplace health programmes and employer-led screening initiatives. In Germany, many employers offer preventive health services at work, which play a unique role within occupational health. These programmes are broadly comparable to workplace health initiatives in the UK. They enable employers to offer structured screening and medical education directly to their employees — allowing health screening efforts to reach hundreds, and sometimes even thousands, of individuals within a single organization. They make it easier for people to actively engage with screening and their own health.
Medical Education Makes People Feel Secure
Building on this direct access to employees, Netzwerk gegen Darmkrebs and Preventis help raise awareness of the importance of early colorectal cancer screening. A central element of these initiatives is a series of on-site and online educational lectures delivered within companies by the network’s president and gastroenterologist, Dr Birkner. He not only explains the medical facts to employees, but also puts the value of early detection into practical, real-life context:
“We know that when a colorectal tumor is detected during a colonoscopy, in about 70% of cases it is still in a very early and highly treatable stage—so-called stages 1 and 2. In these cases, the chance of cure is 95% through surgery. Therefore, even if a tumor is detected through screening, the prognosis for the individual is very favorable,” Dr. Birkner explains.
He also highlights the importance of accessible home-based testing: “I would generally always recommend a stool test for home use, for the simple reason that it supports freedom of choice: I am independent in terms of time and location, both for performing the test and receiving the result. Ultimately, the test enables immediate evaluation after collecting the stool sample at home — within 15 minutes.”
Following these educational sessions, employees are given the opportunity to take a stool test and perform it at home. No extra appointment is needed to perform the test. Only If the result is positive, the next step is medical clarification. This immediate connection between education and accesible action is a key success factor of the collaboration.
Workplace health programms and corporate screening initiatives reflect a growing commitment among employers to long-term employee health while contributing to broader public health goals: increasing screening participation. They can reduce key barriers to colocrectal cancer screening such as hesitations, by raising awareness and make the first step to screening easy. They are not only cost-effective but pay off in humanitarian terms as they reach many people at once to help prevent colorectal cancer [5].
Stool-Based Screening Matters
The role of stool tests for colorectal cancer screening is well established in scientific research. Studies show that fecal immunological tests (FIT Test) help detect early-stage disease and precancerous conditions, enabling timely intervention and reducing mortality [7].
As a German diagnostics company with scientific roots in the laboratory, Preventis has been developing rapid diagnostic tests for colorectal cancer screening for more than 20 years now. These solutions also include smartphone-assisted rapid tests that enable quantitative evaluations over the phone from home.
Effective prevention depends not only on diagnostic accuracy and colonoscopy availability but also on accessibility. Screening only works at scale when it is easy to access and simple to act on.
Driving Real Impact in Raising Participation Rates
Netzwerk gegen Darmkrebs and Preventis create a bridge between scientific knowledge and practical implementation. The NGO and diagnostics company work together to make colorectal cancer screening easier to access—and easier to act on. By combining on-site educational sessions led by healthcare professionals with direct access to home-based stool tests through corporate initiatives, the collaboration reaches thousands each year—including many people who have never screened before. It shows that when education and access come together, participation is no longer the barrier—inaction is.
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