FACTOIDS

People know colon cancer screening saves lives. Register at www.MyHealthTestReminder.com to receive an e-mail reminder to schedule your next test.

Top Points:

• March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.

• Colon cancer is the third most common cancer in men and women in the United States.1

• More than 90 percent of cases are diagnosed in patients over the age of 50.2

• · The College of American Pathologists recommends men and women have regular screening for colon cancer starting at age 50. Individuals with a family history of colon cancer or polyps may need screening earlier and should discuss with their physicians the appropriate screening schedule.

• Early detection and removal of precancerous colorectal polyps – as well as detection and treatment of colon cancer in its early stages – is the single most important factor in surviving colon cancer.

• The College of American Pathologists provides a free Internet-based service that helps remind men and women to schedule annual health tests, including colon examinations.

• One quick visit to www.MyHealthTestReminder.com [http://www.myhealthtestreminder.com] allows patients to select the day they would like to schedule their colon cancer screening. On the chosen date, an e-mail will be sent reminding the patient to call a doctor or other health care provider and schedule an appointment.

As I pathologist, I know that having an annual screening test for colon cancer is an important step that a person can take to detect any early signs of the disease. For example, upon detection, a precancerous polyp can be removed before it develops into cancer, thus preventing the disease and saving a person’s life.

Supporting Points:

· According to a Gallup study on preventative testing, commissioned by the College of American Pathologists and released in 2004, 44 percent of men and women over the age of 50 have never had a colon cancer screening test. This despite medical guidelines recommending a first screening at age 50.

· Men age 50 and older are particularly aware they should be getting screened, but still aren’t doing it. Ninety-one percent of men age 50 and over who were surveyed believe they should have had a colon cancer screening test by age 50, but only half of them (54 percent) say they have actually been screened.

· The survey also showed that although 61 percent of men and women feel they know which screening tests they should have, with all the conflicting guidelines, they don’t know how often they should be having these tests.

· For example, 61 percent of men and women under age 40 think they should start colon cancer screening by 40, instead of the recommended age of 50.

· New recommendations from the American College of Gastroenterology suggest that colorectal cancer screening in African Americans should begin at age 45 rather than 50 years. The ACS recommends that these screenings commence at a younger age due to a higher incidence (higher than any racial or ethnic group) of colorectal cancer in this population, as well as a greater prevalence of proximal or right-sided polyps and cancerous lesions. Additionally, African Americans with colorectal cancer have decreased survival rates compared with whites.3

· Pathologists, physicians who study tissues and cells to identify and diagnose disease, are concerned about the what the Gallup study shows because they know that regularly scheduled health screening tests can save lives.

· Upon detection, a precancerous polyp can be removed before it develops into cancer, thus preventing cancer.

· When colon cancer is diagnosed early in its localized stage, survival rates are as high as 90 percent.4

· Yearly fecal occult blood test (FOBT) plus flexible sigmoidoscopy conducted every five years is the most preferred option by the American Cancer Society.5

· An e-mail reminder to schedule a screening test can be set up in seconds—and those seconds could save your life.