But CDC says 1 in 3 at-risk adults don?t get screened
If you?re age 50 or older and not getting screened for colorectal cancer, you?re playing with fire.
Colorectal cancer is the second most lethal cancer that affects men and women, killing more than 50,000 adults each year, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports.
Death from colorectal cancer is a needless tragedy, because regular screenings can stop the disease before it starts. Yet approximately 1 in 3 adults who need these screenings are not getting them, CDC says.
Why screenings are important
Once you reach age 50, you?re at increased risk of abnormal growths?called polyps?in the colon and rectum. Polyps can become cancerous if left untreated, but doctors can detect and remove these growths before they turn malignant.
National colorectal cancer rates have been falling. CDC estimates that 66,000 new cases and 32,000 deaths from the disease were prevented between 2003 and 2007. Colorectal screenings accounted for half the prevented diagnoses and deaths, the federal agency says.
CDC recommends that adults aged 50 to 75 receive:
??an annual at-home fecal occult blood test (FOBT), or
??flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years, plus FOBT every 3 years, or
? a colonoscopy every 10 years.
Adults younger than age 50 also should get tested if they have had polyps, or if they have:
??an inflammatory bowel disease
??a genetic disorder that can lead to polyps, or
??a close family history of colorectal cancer or polyps.
Why people don?t get screened
CDC, however, says many at-risk adults don?t get screened because:
??they fear the test will be positive for cancer
??they don?t realize that colorectal cancer risk increases with age, or
??their doctors didn?t inform them that colorectal screening was necessary.
What about lack of insurance?
At-risk adults also put off colorectal screenings because they don?t have health insurance, or their insurers won?t cover the screening. That, however, should not keep you from getting this needed preventive care.
At-home FOBTs are non-invasive?that is, nothing enters the body. FOBTs also are relatively inexpensive, ranging in cost from $10 to $25. It?s a once-yearly expense?and if it prolongs your life, it?s money well spent.
If your doctor suggests a sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy?and you lack coverage for these procedures?try calling or visiting:
? your local health department, which can direct you to free or low-cost screenings in your area
??New Jersey?s Community and Wellness Web page, which offers information on clinics and assistance with paying for cancer screenings (enter ?colorectal cancer screenings? in the search field)
? Benefits.gov, which posts eligibility information for Medicaid and other government benefits programs.
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