CDC: Colorectal Cancer Screening Rates are Down
Many people don’t get necessary cancer screening tests, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The U.S. Preventative Services Task Force recommend regular screening of both men and women beginning at age 50 for colorectal cancer. However a Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report found the percentage of people being screened for colorectal cancer is significantly lower than estimated.
The report found 58.5 percent of men reported being screened for colorectal cancer. This is significantly lower than the Healthy People 2020 target of 70.5 percent.Whites were significantly more likely to report being up-to-date in screening than blacks or Asians. Hispanics were less likely to report being up-to-date than non-Hispanics.
Among respondents who had been in the United States for less than 10 years; did not have a primary care physician; or did not have health insurance, less than a quarter reported having been screened within the recommended interval. Respondents aged 65–75 years were more likely to be up-to-date than those aged 50–64 years.
Colorectal cancer, cancer of the colon or rectum, is the third most common cancer for men and women and the second leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States. Men are at a slightly greater risk for the cancer than women. Certain lifestyle factors such as physical inactivity, smoking, obesity and alcohol abuse also contribute to increased risk of colorectal cancer.