American Cancer Society Urges Increased Colon Cancer Screening to Save Lives
SAN ANTONIO – While a combination of earlier detection and better treatments have yielded a steady decline in the colorectal cancer death rate over the past 20 years, colorectal cancer will kill nearly 50,000 people in the U.S. in 2015, including 4,134 in Texas, according to the American Cancer Society.
Colorectal cancer is one of only a handful of cancers for which screening is proven to save lives, both by finding and removing polyps before they turn cancerous and by finding cancers early, when treatment is most likely to be successful.
During March, National Colon Cancer Awareness Month, the American Cancer Society is highlighting the need to do more to save lives from the nation’s second leading cause of cancer death in both men and women by urging patients and their doctors to talk about the importance of colorectal cancer screening, which is recommended for people at average risk beginning at age 50.
More than 1 in 3 adults aged 50 and older are not being screened as recommended for colorectal cancer. The American Cancer Society recommends that most people begin regular screening at age 50. People at higher risk, such as those with a family history of colon cancer, may need to start screening earlier.
There are a number of colorectal cancer screening options available, including:
- Tests that detect precancerous polyps and cancer:
- Flexible sigmoidoscopy every five years; or
- Colonoscopy every 10 years; or
- Double contrast barium enema (DCBE) every five years; or
- CT colonography (CTC) every five years.
- Tests that primarily detect cancer:
- Yearly guaiac-based fecal occult blood test (gFOBT) with high test sensitivity for cancer (older versions of the Fecal Occult Blood Test should not be used to test for colorectal cancer); or
- Yearly fecal immunochemical test (FIT) with high test sensitivity for cancer; or
- Stool DNA test (sDNA).
Tests that detect precancerous polyps allow doctors to remove the polyps and potentially prevent cancer altogether. And while cancers detected at the earliest stage have a five-year survival rate of 90 percent, only 40 percent of colon cancers are currently detected at this stage, partly because too few people are screened.
The Society is increasing efforts during March and beyond to ensure more people are aware of the lifesaving potential of screenings. As co-founders of the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable, a coalition of 80 member organizations working to improve screening rates in the US, the American Cancer Society and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are committed to significantly increasing screening rates.
Facts & Links
· This year, 132,700 people in the U.S. are expected to be diagnosed with colon cancer and 49,700 will die from this disease. In Texas, 9.789 will be diagnosed and 4,134 will lose their battle.
· For signs and symptoms of colon cancer, click here.
· For an outline of colon cancer screening tests, click here.
· For five colon cancer myths, click here.
· For information about insurance coverage of colon cancer screening, including under the Affordable Care Act, click here.
For more information and guidance on colorectal cancer, visit cancer.org/fightcoloncancer or call the American Cancer Society 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 800-227-2345.
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About the American Cancer Society:
The American Cancer Society is a global grassroots force of more than three million volunteers saving lives and fighting for every birthday threatened by every cancer in every community. As the largest voluntary health organization, the Society’s efforts have contributed to a 20 percent decline in cancer death rates in the U.S. since 1991, and a 50 percent drop in smoking rates. Thanks in part to our progress nearly 14 million Americans who have had cancer and countless more who have avoided it will celebrate more birthdays this year. We’re finding cures as the nation’s largest private, not-for-profit investor in cancer research, ensuring people facing cancer have the help they need and continuing the fight for access to quality health care, lifesaving screenings, clean air, and more. For more information, to get help, or to join the fight, call us anytime, day or night, at 1-800-227-2345 or visit www.cancer.org/fight.
