The use of sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy to screen for colorectal cancer has increased in recent years, according to Dr. D.A. Joseph and his associates at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Although this increase is encouraging, disparities persist in colorectal cancer test use,” they said.
The researchers used data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System to compare rates of colorectal cancer testing in 2002, 2004, and 2006. The BRFSS conducts telephone surveys of adults in all 50 states except Hawaii, and sampled between 100,000 and 200,000 adults in the 3 years included in this report.
The proportion of respondents aged 50 years and older who reported that they had undergone “lower endoscopy” within the preceding decade rose from 45% in 2002 to 50% in 2004 and to 56% in 2006.
However, the proportion that reported they had undergone fecal occult blood testing within the preceding year declined during the same period, from 22% in 2002, to 18% in 2004, and to 16% in 2006, the investigators said (MMWR 2008;57:253–8).
Taking these colorectal cancer screens together, there was a net gain in the proportion of people aged 50 and older who underwent some form of screening.
Although the percentages increased for all races, the proportion of whites who underwent screening remained higher than that of all the other races. In addition, the proportions of people who underwent screening also increased with increasing education level and increasing household income.
In an editorial note accompanying this report, the CDC said that several factors might have contributed to the increase in colorectal cancer screening, including Medicare coverage of screening colonoscopy and increased coverage by private insurers.
“Previous studies have documented a greater prevalence of colorectal cancer screening among men than women. Data in this report suggest that the gap in prevalence between men and women is closing,” the CDC said.