Educational Intervention With or Without Telephone Counseling in Increasing Colorectal Cancer Screening Compliance in Brothers and Sisters of Patients With Colorectal Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Sibling of a patient diagnosed with adenocarcinoma of the colon or rectum

  * Patient (proband) must meet the following criteria:

    * Diagnosed in 1999 or later
    * Currently living
    * Seen in Community Clinical Oncology Program member hospital
    * 60 and under at diagnosis
* No history of hereditary cancer syndrome (e.g., familial adenomatous polyposis or hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer) (patient and sibling)
* No history of colorectal cancer or colorectal polyps (sibling)
* No history of inflammatory bowel disease (patient and sibling)

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

* Age 40 and over OR within 10 years of proband's (patient's) age at diagnosis
* English speaking

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

* No prior colorectal cancer screening

  * May have undergone prior screening provided they have not followed, or do not plan to follow, physician's recommendation for screening