Thousands in U.S. Died Last Year Because They Were
Not Screened for Colon, Breast Cancer
Vast majority are being screened for these deadly
cancers but CDC finds millions failing to get tested; senior citizens to
see expanded Medicare screening on January 1
July 7, 2010 - More adults in the United States
have been getting recommended breast and colorectal cancer screenings –
two of the leading causes of cancer deaths in the U.S. - but millions
of people still have not had recommended screening, according to data
released Tuesday in the new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) monthly report, CDC Vital Signs.
Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in
the United States, after
lung cancer.
Breast cancer is the most commonly found cancer and the second
leading cause of cancer deaths among U.S. women.
Overall, the data indicate that more people are
receiving recommended cancer screenings, with colorectal screening
increasing from 52 percent in 2002 to 63 percent in 2008.
Eighty-one percent of women 50-74 years old
received recommended mammography screening for
breast cancer in 2008.
These findings also indicate that more than 22
million men and women have not had a potentially life-saving screening
test for
colorectal cancer and about 7 million women age 50 to 74 have not
had a recent mammogram.
"But we have more to do, especially when it comes
to getting more people screened for colorectal cancer, which kills more
American non-smokers than any other cancer. Tragically, one in three
people who should be screened for colorectal cancer have not yet done
so; and rates are even lower among Hispanics and blacks."
What You Need To Do
What people can do about Breast Cancer
● Talk to their health care providers about
their risk of getting cancer and ask which screening tests they should
have, at what age to begin, and how often to be screened.
● Get a mammogram every 2 years if you are a
woman aged 50 or older. Women younger than 50 should talk with their
health care provider about breast cancer risk and when to begin getting
a mammogram.
● Talk to their health care provider about
whether they should be tested at an earlier age or more often than other
people if they have a family history of breast cancer.
● Contact their local health department about
free or low-cost screening if they can't pay for colon cancer testing or
if their insurance doesn't cover it. Call 1-800-CDC-INFO or contact
CDC's
National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program to find
a local program.
● See a doctor promptly to determine the next
steps needed if a screening test shows there might be a problem.
People can do about Colorectal Cancer
● Talk to their health care providers about
their risk of getting cancer and ask which screening tests they should
have, at what age to begin, and how often to be screened.
● Get screened regularly for colon cancer at age
50 or older, using either one or a combination of tests, including a
fecal occult blood test, flexible sigmoidoscopy, or colonoscopy.
● Talk to their health care provider about
whether they should be tested at an earlier age or more often than other
people if they have a family history of colon cancer.
● Contact their local health department about
free or low-cost screening if they can't pay for colon cancer testing or
if their insurance doesn't cover it. Call 1-800-CDC-INFO or contact
CDC's
Colorectal Cancer Control Program to find a local program.
● See a doctor promptly to determine the next
steps needed if a screening test shows there might be a problem.
The report on two of the nation's deadliest
cancers, published online at
www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns, used the most recent data available from the
state-level 2008
Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey to determine the number
of people receiving the recommended colorectal cancer and breast cancer
screenings.
Each month, CDC Vital Signs will provide the most
recent, comprehensive data on one of twelve key indicators of important
health topics.
Significant findings include:
Colorectal Cancer Screening
● Insured adults had higher screening rates than
those uninsured – 66 percent compared to 36 percent.
● State colorectal cancer screening prevalence
varied from 53 percent in Oklahoma to 74 percent in Massachusetts.
● Highest screening prevalence was concentrated
in northeastern states at 74 percent in 3 states in Maine, Delaware, and
Massachusetts. The lowest prevalence occurred in the central and western
regions in Oklahoma (53 percent), Arkansas (53 percent), and Idaho (54
percent).
● The lowest screening prevalence was among the
uninsured (36 percent)
● Screening prevalence continue to be lower
among all racial and ethnic minorities except for blacks. Factors linked
to low screening prevalence include having a low income (48 percent),
less than a high school education (46 percent), and not having health
insurance (36 percent).
Breast Cancer Screening
● Eighty-one percent of women aged 50-74 years
reported having a mammogram within the past two years.
● American Indian and Alaska Native women
reported the lowest prevalence for mammography screening (70 percent).
● Screening prevalence was lower among women
with less than a high school education (73 percent), and for women with
low income (69 percent).
● Mammography screening prevalence was lowest in
the western states in Nevada (72 percent), Mississippi (72 percent), and
Idaho (73 percent).
● Insured women had a 28 percentage-point higher
screening prevalence than uninsured women (84 percent versus 56
percent). Even among women with health insurance, 16 percent were not
up-to-date with mammograms.
Achieving Higher Cancer Screen Rates
The studies show that physician recommendations and
health insurance coverage are strongly associated with people getting
recommended cancer screenings. Lack of insurance appears to be one of
the primary reasons for racial and ethnic differences in colon and
breast cancer screening rates.
Senior Citizens to See Expanded Medicare
Coverage for Screening
The report also noted that the Affordable Care Act
is likely to reduce financial barriers to screening by expanding
insurance coverage and eliminating cost sharing. Senior citizens, in
particular, will benefit from the free Medicare preventive screening in
the health reform legislation. Starting January 1, 2011 co-payments will
be eliminated and these services will be exempted from deductibles in
Medicare.
The new studies indicate that physician
recommendation for screening remains an important but underused
motivator for cancer screenings. The report concludes that improving
cancer screening benchmarks in clinical practice must be a higher
priority for new health care methods.
One example of new practice
methods is the patient-centered medical home, a team-based approach led
by a personal physician who provides continuous and coordinated care
throughout a patient's lifetime.
Additionally, it suggests that the field of public
health can expand surveillance, outreach, case management, and quality
assurance to improve colorectal and breast cancer screening outcomes of
the U.S. population.
Importance of Cancer Screening
In 2006, more than 139,000 new cases of colorectal
cancer were diagnosed and more than 53,000 people died from this
disease. Colorectal cancer screening tests can find precancerous polyps
so they can be removed before they turn into cancer, thus preventing the
disease. Screening can also detect colorectal cancer at an early stage,
when treatment can be highly effective.
In 2006, more than 191,000 women were diagnosed
with invasive breast cancer and more than 40,000 died from the disease.
Mammograms are the best method to detect breast cancer early when it is
easier to treat and before it is big enough to feel or cause symptoms.
CDC Efforts to Increase Cancer Screening
The
CDC Colorectal Cancer Control Program funds 26 states and tribal
organizations for the use of population-based approaches to increase
screening among men and women aged 50 years and older. Population-based
approaches include policy and health systems change, outreach, case
management, and selective provision of direct screening services. For
more information about CDC efforts to prevent colorectal cancer, visit
www.cdc.gov/cancer/colorectal and
www.cdc.gov/screenforlife.
CDC Vital Signs is a new report that will appear on
the first Tuesday of the month as part of the CDC journal
Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, or MMWR. The new report is
designed to provide the latest data and information on key health
indicators. These are cancer prevention, obesity, tobacco use, alcohol
use, access to health care, HIV/AIDS, motor vehicle passenger safety,
health care-associated infections, cardiovascular health, teen pregnancy
and infant mortality, asthma, and food safety.
July 7, 2010 - More adults in the United States
have been getting recommended breast and colorectal cancer screenings –
two of the leading causes of cancer deaths in the U.S. - but millions
of people still have not had recommended screening, according to data
released Tuesday in the new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) monthly report, CDC Vital Signs.