More Colorectal Cancer Screening Needed

(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- According to the American Cancer Society, about 153,000 people are diagnosed with colorectal cancer each year, which includes rectal and colon cancer. About 60 percent of patients live past five years after being diagnosed, but frighteningly, fewer than half of older patients who do survive continue to receive screenings to monitor recurrence.

The guidelines established to help decrease the risk of colorectal cancers returning include trips to the doctor’s office, colonoscopy and other tests to spot any changes in a patient. The recent study was conducted by University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland and involved 9,426 patients over age 65 that were diagnosed with adenocarcinoma of the colon or rectum from 2000 to 2001. More than 60 percent of the patients were found to receive testing below the recommended levels, compared to 17.1 percent who did receive testing following the guidelines.

The researchers do point out, however, that a proportion of patients (22.7 percent) went beyond the guidelines by having other tests that are not always recommended performed, including computerized tomography (CT) and positron emission tomography (PET) scans.

They also say race played a role in who sought follow-up treatment: African Americans were less likely to be tested less.

“Further studies should ascertain the reasons for poor compliance and the effect on patient outcome,” the authors wrote.

Source: Cancer, published online September 8, 2008