From community practice to public health policy—planning and implementation of Shanghai colorectal cancer screening program

Population-based screening can reduce the mortality of colorectal cancer (CRC) and is an effective intervention to control the burden of CRC. Establishment and implementation of population-based screening strategies are important for regional cancer control planning. In 2011, Shanghai Municipal Government launched "Shanghai Colorectal Cancer Screening Program" as one of the municipal major public health service projects, and then the former Shanghai Municipal Health Bureau issued Notice to organize the implementation of the "Shanghai Colorectal Cancer Screening Program" as one of the municipal major public health service projects and provided free CRC screening services for qualified residents across the whole city of Shanghai. By means of scientific demonstration and repeated practice, Shanghai takes the lead in incorporating a mature cancer screening measure into public health services, thereby making a breakthrough in the cancer screening for large-scale population in China in terms of public health policies. This paper reviews the whole process from both the design and the community pilot study of the above-mentioned program to the formulation of relevant public health policies as well as the promotion thereof across the whole city, and discusses how related technical and implementation issues can be resolved by utilizing evidence-based methods when the technical measure of CRC screening turns into public health service projects and is promoted and implemented among population.