Memorial Health Center

Breast, Colon Cancer Screening Rates Need Improvement

< Jul. 07, 2010 > -- Rates of breast and colon cancer screenings are greater than ever. Yet, US health officials say that millions of people are not getting the screenings and thousands are dying needlessly as a result.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released two new reports. The reports find that rates of recommended screening for colon cancer have risen from 52 percent of adults in 2002 to 63 percent in 2008. And, by 2008, just over 81 percent of women aged 50 to 74 were getting mammograms as recommended, about the same level as in 2006.

However, the CDC says that 7 million women who should have had a mammogram recently have gone without the potentially lifesaving screen, and 22 million Americans who should have undergone colon cancer screening have not done so.

Colon, Breast Cancer Screening Helps Prevent Deaths

"Most deaths from colon cancer could be prevented by screening technologies that are available today," says Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, who is the director of the CDC.

"We are encouraged by increases in colon cancer screening rates over the years," he adds.

Dr. Frieden attributes some of the increase in the screening rates for colon cancer to the attention brought to the disease by CBS News anchor Katie Couric, whose 2004 on-air colonoscopy highlighted the disease and the test. Couric lost her husband Jay Monahan to colon cancer in 1998.

"Nevertheless, there is a lot more progress we could make with colon cancer screening," says Dr. Frieden. "There are more than 20 million Americans between the ages of 50 and 75 who need to be screened, who have not been screened. If they were [screened] that would save thousands of deaths per year."

In terms of breast cancer, there has been a leveling off of breast cancer screening rates in recent years, Dr. Frieden says.

"We know that mammography does prevent breast cancer and prevents the spread of breast cancer and saves lives, so we want to see that continue to increase," he says.

Some Problems Persist

Dr. Marcus Plescia, director of the CDC's Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, notes that there are several barriers that prevent some people from being screened for these cancers.

"There are a number of disparities," he says. "Disparities based on race and ethnicity, disparities based on lack of insurance, and disparities based across geographic regions."

Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States, after lung cancer, and breast cancer is the most commonly found cancer and the second leading cause of cancer deaths among US women, according to the CDC.

The new reports find that a doctor's recommendation for screening is an important - yet underused - motivator. Encouraging doctors to prioritize cancer screening would greatly boost testing rates, the CDC says.

Always consult your physician for more information.

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More About Colon Cancer

Colorectal cancer is malignant cells found in the colon or rectum. The colon and the rectum are parts of the large intestine, which is part of the digestive system. Because colon cancer and rectal cancers have many features in common, they are sometimes referred to together as colorectal cancer. Cancerous tumors found in the colon or rectum also may spread to other parts of the body.

Excluding skin cancers, colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in both men and women. It is estimated by the American Cancer Society that 142,570 colorectal cancer cases are expected in 2010. The number of deaths due to colorectal cancer has decreased, which is attributed to increased screening and polyp removal.

People who have any of the following symptoms should check with their physicians, especially if they are over 50 years old or have a personal or family history of the disease:

• a change in bowel habits such as diarrhea, constipation, or narrowing of the stool that lasts for more than a few days

• rectal bleeding or blood in the stool

• cramping or gnawing stomach pain

• decreased appetite

• vomiting

• weakness and fatigue

• jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes)

According to American Cancer Society guidelines, beginning at age 50, both men and women should follow one of the examination schedules below:

• fecal occult blood test (FOBT) or fecal immunochemical test (FIT) every year

• flexible sigmoidoscopy (FSIG) every five years

• both annual FOBT and FSIG every five years

• double-contrast barium enema every five years

• colonoscopy every 10 years

• CT colonography (virtual colonoscopy) every five years

• stool DNA test (sDNA), interval uncertain

Always consult your physician for more information.

Online Resources

(Our Organization is not responsible for the content of Internet sites.)

American Cancer Society

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

National Cancer Institute (NCI)

National Comprehensive Cancer Network