The 13-member panel found that the most important factors associated with screening are insurance coverage and access to a regular healthcare provider. As a result, the panel’s recommendations highlighted the need to remove out-of-pocket costs for screening tests, according to the release.
Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States, and despite evidence and guidelines supporting the value of screening for this disease, rates of screening for colorectal cancer are consistently lower than those for other types of cancer, particularly breast and cervical. The screening rates in the target population of adults over age 50 have increased from 20-30 percent in 1997 to nearly 55 percent in 2008, but the rate is still too low, according to the NIH.
“We recognize that some may find colorectal cancer screening tests to be unpleasant and time-consuming. However, we also know that recommended screening strategies reduce colorectal cancer deaths,” Donald Steinwachs, MD, panel chair and professor and director of the Health Services Research and Development Center at the Johns Hopkins University, said in the release. “We need to find ways to encourage more people to get these important tests.”
The panel also emphasized that informed decisions incorporating personal preferences may help reluctant individuals determine which test’s combined attributes — invasiveness, frequency and required preparation — are preferable to them, helping them identify and obtain the most palatable test.
In addition to increasing first-time screening rates, the panel also identified the need to ensure that individuals return for subsequent testing at the recommended intervals.
Read NIH’s release on colorectal cancer screening.
