TOPSHAM -- March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, and the American Cancer Society continues to encourage all Americans at average risk to begin screening starting at age 50. The fight against colon cancer has seen much progress in recent years. The 2007 Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer reported that death rates from colon cancer dropped 4.9 percent per year in men and 4.5 percent per year in women between 2002 and 2004, and that incidence rates have been declining steadily over the past decade in both men and women. These important declines can be attributed to prevention and early detection of the disease through screening, as well as increasingly effective treatment.
Despite this progress, colon cancer remains the second leading cause of cancer mortality, after lung cancer, in the U.S. The American Cancer Society says an estimated 154,000 people in the U.S. were expected to be diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2007; and 52,180 were expected to die from the disease. In Maine, over 800 people will be diagnosed with colon cancer and close to 300 will die. Wider use of proven screening tests could save more than half of these lives.
"Colon cancer is one of only a few cancers that can be prevented through screening," said Kip DeSerres, Vice President of Cancer Control for the American Cancer Society. "Precancerous polyps, from which colon cancers often develop, can be identified and removed before they become cancerous. There is an enormous opportunity to save lives."
The American Cancer Society recommends that men and women at average risk for colon cancer begin screening at age 50. Testing for colon cancer holds the single greatest opportunity for decreasing deaths from this disease. Despite the potential of screening tests to prevent colon cancer and save lives, screening rates remain low. Only about half of men and women age 50 and older have been screened. A recent report from the American Cancer Society shows that the uninsured are less likely to receive recommended cancer screening tests, including colon cancer screening. While nearly half (48.3 percent) of men and women ages 50 to 64 with private insurance had a recommended colorectal cancer screening test in the past 10 years, only one in five (18.8 percent) of those who lacked insurance had received recommended screening. Further efforts are clearly needed to remove financial barriers to screening and to encourage testing.
The Society and its sister advocacy organization, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), supports responsible health policies that will improve access to colon cancer testing and treatment for all Americans. ACS CAN is working to enact federal legislation that would increase access to colon cancer screening and treatment services for uninsured and underinsured men and women ages 50 to 64. Other federal efforts include supporting legislation that would waive Medicare co-pays for colonoscopies and extend the eligibility period for the Welcome to Medicare visit for new Medicare beneficiaries from six months to one year.
At the state level, ACS CAN is working in partnership with the Society to pass laws that would require private health insurance plans to cover the full range of colon cancer screenings. Currently, 22 states and the District of Columbia guarantee such coverage, as does Medicare. In Maine, Society staff and volunteers are working on legislation to mandate insurance companies to cover colon cancer screenings (LD2109: "An Act Relating to Insurance Coverage for Colorectal Cancer Early Detection"). A public hearing was held earlier this year and the bill will soon be ready to present to the Senate and House for a vote.
Colorectal cancer risk increases with age, with more than 90 percent of cases diagnosed in individuals aged 50 and older. A personal or family history of the disease also increases risk. Studies indicate that men and women who are overweight are more likely to develop and die from colon cancer, and a diet high in red or processed meat is known to increase risk.
For recommendations that can reduce risk of colon cancer and other cancers, individuals can take the Society's Great American Health Check. The Great American Health Check focuses on the importance of prevention and early detection by helping consumers understand what cancer tests are right for them and how to adopt healthy lifestyle behaviors throughout the year that may reduce their cancer risk.
The Great American Health Check consists of an online health tool available at www.cancer.org/greatamericans, where users can access a personalized guide on which cancer screening tests are appropriate, as well as healthy behavior recommendations based on their response. Easy-to-use and confidential, this interactive online tool allows users to enter age, gender, height, weight, dietary habits, physical activity levels, and alcohol and tobacco use for themselves or a loved one. The tool in turn provides recommendations for diet, physical activity, and tobacco cessation to help lower a person's risk for certain cancers, and the resulting health action plan that is created can be shared with one's doctor.
The American Cancer Society encourages all people to take control of their health by becoming more informed about colon cancer and early detection testing. Too many people make excuses for not getting screened, such as: I don't have the time, I'm not at risk, I'm afraid of tests, or I don't like the paper gowns. Yet, getting tested can help save your life as more than 90 percent of colon cancer cases are diagnosed in people age 50 or older. Talk to your doctor about testing options. For more information about colon cancer, contact the American Cancer Society at 1-800-ACS-2345, anytime, day or night or visit our website at www.cancer.org.
The American Cancer Society is the nationwide, community-based, voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives, and diminishing suffering through research, education, advocacy, and patient services. Call 800-ACS-2345, 24 hours a day, any day of the year for cancer information, connections to local resources, or simply to talk with a caring person when you or a family member needs strength and encouragement.
