Getting Tested Can Prevent Colon Cancer

WILTON — As the nation marks the sixth annual National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month in March, the American Cancer Society is raising awareness that this third most common cause of cancer and cancer death in both men and women in the United States (causing ten percent of all cancers) is largely preventable.

The society estimates that this year 145,290 Americans will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer (commonly referred to as colon cancer) and 56,290 will die of the disease, a number that could be cut in half if Americans followed American Cancer Society testing recommendations for colon cancer. In Connecticut, it is estimated that 1,710 new cases of colorectal cancer will be diagnosed and 660 will die of the disease.

Despite overwhelming evidence that testing can save lives, many Americans still are not following recommendations from the American Cancer Society to get tested starting at age 50. Colon cancer is the rare case in which testing can actually prevent the disease. Suspicious polyps (precancerous changes or growths in the lining of the colon and rectum) are removed before they turn cancerous.

Thanks in part to increased testing, colon cancer incidence rates decreased about three percent a year between 1998 and 2001. Increased testing and improvements in survival have also led to a lower death rate, which has decreased an average of 1.8 percent per year over the past 15 years.

When colon cancer is caught early, it has a 90 percent survival rate. Still, fewer than four in ten (39 percent) of these cancers are discovered at the earliest, most treatable stage. The American Cancer Society says increasing colon cancer testing among adults 50 and older represents the single greatest opportunity to decrease colon cancer death rates in this country (more than 90 percent of cases are diagnosed in people over the age of 50).

“It’s becoming clear that people 50 and older just do not see themselves as being at risk for colon cancer and needing to be tested,” said Stephen F. Sener, MD, national volunteer president of the American Cancer Society. “If we can increase awareness and compliance to the level we’ve done with the Pap test and the mammogram, we will have a tremendous opportunity to save thousands of lives through prevention and early detection.”

The reasons for low testing rates include many misconceptions. One common colon cancer myth is that only people with a family history need to be concerned about colon cancer. While it is true that those who have a family history of the disease are at increased risk, the majority of cases occur in people whose only risk factor is their age, which is why people should start getting tested at age 50.

Many women think of colon cancer as strictly a “man’s disease,” but the reality is that it kills more women than ovarian, uterine, and cervical cancers combined. Other people think testing is necessary only when symptoms arise. Yet symptoms are often a sign that the disease has progressed into more advanced stages. Testing is most effective before a patient develops signs of illness.

The society also emphasizes the major role doctors play in increasing testing rates. “Physicians are the most important factor in getting patients tested for colon cancer,” said Durado Brooks, MD, the society’s director of prostate and colorectal cancer. “If your doctor recommends it, you’re more likely to get tested. Doctors have so much to cover in so little time, but they need to take the time to emphasize the importance of testing. The American Cancer Society can help with materials to help doctors educate their patients.”

To increase the awareness of personal risk and to boost colon cancer testing rates, the society launched a nationwide advertising campaign in February to emphasize the importance of getting tested starting at age 50, part of a comprehensive strategy to combat the disease from every angle, including research, education, advocacy, and patient services. Awareness activities are also being presented locally in Fairfield and Litchfield counties.

In 2003, the society worked with its partners at the American Heart Association and the American Diabetes Association to help achieve the goal of increased testing rates by lobbying for the new “Welcome to Medicare” physical as a part of the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003. This benefit went into effect on January 1, 2005, and for the first time in the program’s 40-year history a wellness physical where doctors can discuss and schedule lifesaving testing, like those for colon cancer, is available.

As of January 2005, the society funds 97 colon cancer-related research grants totaling approximately $50.8 million. Its science-based early detection guidelines help health care providers and consumers alike make decisions about testing. The society is leading efforts to enact legislation that would require private health insurance plans to cover the full range of colon cancer testing in all 50 states. Currently 16 states and the District of Columbia guarantee such coverage, as does Medicare.

The American Cancer Society makes reliable information regarding colon cancer, risk factors, prevention, and testing available any time, day or night. Trained specialists are available at its toll-free cancer information service at 800-ACS-2345 to answer calls 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Callers can also receive a free information kit (containing a DVD) designed to educate patients about their testing options and help them talk to their doctors about colon cancer. At www.cancer.org, visitors can find the latest cancer news, links to community resources and events, and informative books. There is also an online community of fellow patients, survivors, and caregivers who understand and inspire through the Cancer Survivors NetworkSM.