Declines in colon cancer due to screening

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 third leading cause of cancer death in both men and women in the U.S. The American Cancer Society says 108,070 people in the U.S. will be diagnosed with colon cancer this year, 40,740 with rectal cancer; and 49,960 will die from the disease. Wider use of proven screening tests could save more than half of these lives.

The American Cancer Society recommends that men and women at average risk for colon cancer begin screening at age 50. People at increased or high risk should talk to their doctor about the appropriate screening test and schedule suitable for them.

Colorectal cancer screening rates have recently increased, possibly due to multiple efforts to increase awareness of the importance of screening, expansions in health care coverage for colorectal cancer screening, and the establishment of screening programs in certain states.

However, in spite of these advances, 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), support 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. 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.

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 behavior and prevention 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, an online health tool available at www.cancer.org/greatamericans, 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 American Cancer Society is dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by saving lives, diminishing suffering and preventing cancer through research, education, advocacy and service. For more information anytime, call toll free 1-800-ACS-2345 or visit www.cancer.org.