The incidence of colorectal cancer among adults aged 50-75 years in the United States decreased by a significant 3.4% per year between 2003 and 2007, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. The statistics were published online in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report Early Release on July 5.
"Colon cancer is largely preventable," CDC Director Dr. Thomas R. Frieden said in a July 5 telebriefing.
"Because of the increased screening as well as other improvements in our health system and health status, colon cancer rates have decreased by more than 10% over the past 5 years," he said.
Dr. Thomas R. Frieden
"This decrease accounts for nearly 66,000 fewer people who got colon cancer and more than 30,000 people who didn’t die from colon cancer who would have died otherwise," he said. About half of those decreases were attributable to increased colon cancer screening, Dr. Frieden said (MMWR 2011; 60:1-6).
Overall, combined colorectal cancer screening rates (including lower endoscopy and fecal occult blood testing) increased from 52.3% in 2002 to 65.4% in 2010. Age-adjusted colorectal cancer incidence rates dropped from 52.3/100,000 in 2003 to 45.5/100,000 in 2007.
In addition, the overall age-adjusted mortality from colorectal cancer decreased from 19/100,000 in 2003 to 16.7/100,000 in 2007. At the state level, colorectal cancer incidence dropped significantly in 35 states, and colorectal cancer death rates dropped significantly in 49 states and the District of Columbia. In 2007, the District of Columbia reported the highest colorectal cancer death rate (21.1/100,000), while Montana and Colorado tied for the lowest rate (14.1/100,000).
The CDC’s findings were based on 2002-2010 survey data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System and from the United States Cancer Statistics state-specific databases.
Dr. Frieden emphasized the important role of health care providers in talking to their adult patients about colorectal screening and identifying those at risk. The increased use of electronic medical records should make it easier for doctors to identify patients in need of screening, he said.
"There is certainly enormous potential to improve adherence to preventive recommendations," said Dr. Frieden. For example, medical registries allow providers to simply click a mouse and identify any of their patients at risk for colon cancer who have not been screened, he noted.
An electronic medical records system is "one of the examples of what practices can do to improve colon cancer screening," Dr. Frieden said. "It is a high-tech way, but there are also high-touch ways of improving colon cancer screening: by talking to patients and addressing any concerns they may have about the process, and by exploring different options for different screenings that could be done," he said. All types of improvements in medical systems are important to improve the health care system and get more health value for the dollars spent on health care, he added.
"Screening is highly effective, and by preventing colon cancer we can help people live longer, healthier, more productive lives while reducing health care costs associated with the treatment of colon cancer," Dr. Frieden said.
Dr. Frieden had no financial conflicts to disclose.