(Ivanhoe Newswire) Despite the publicity about the effectiveness of
colorectal cancer screening, some doctors say many people aren’t getting the
message.
According to information collected by the Centers for Disease Control only 50
percent of men and women over 50 years old went for screening in 2005. Although
that’s up from 43 percent in 2000, investigators say the numbers are still too
low.
Jean A. Shapiro, an epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control says a
major problem seems to be insurance coverage. Fifty percent of the people who
had coverage were screened compared to only 24.1 percent of the uninsured.
People with a regular source of health care were 51.9 percent more likely to get
tested. For those who did not have a regular source of health care, the
screening rate dropped to 24.7 percent.
Shapiro concluded, “If we can increase the number of people who have health care
coverage we would be able to increase colorectal cancer screening rates.”
Education also affected screening rates. Almost 61 percent of college graduates
got screened while only 37 percent of those who stopped at the high school level
went for the test. Other factors influencing screening included higher income
and frequent contact with a doctor. The research also revealed half of the
patients who didn’t go for testing said they had “never thought of it” and 20
percent said their “doctor didn’t order it.”
Colorectal cancer is one of the leading cancer killers behind lung cancer.
“Screening has been shown to significantly reduce mortality from colorectal
cancer,” Shapiro was quoted as saying. “Many doctors are aware but some may
still need to be educated about the importance of colorectal cancer screening.”
SOURCE: Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention, July 2008
