17 Dec Over Half Colon Cancer Deaths Due To Not Getting Screened

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Reinier G.S. Meester, M.Sc
Department of Public Health,
ErasmusMC, Rotterdam, Netherlands

Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?

Response: Despite decreasing death rates from colorectal cancer over the past decades, it still ranks as the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S. Screening for colorectal cancer is highly effective, but only 58% of the eligible population reported up-to-date with screening. This suggests that a substantial proportion of current colorectal cancer deaths in the U.S. are avoidable.

We found that approximately 60% (32,200 deaths) of current deaths from colorectal cancer may be due to not receiving screening.

Medical Research: What should clinicians and patients take away from your report?

Response: The majority of current colorectal cancer deaths are attributable to nonuse of screening, which emphasizes the large benefits to be derived from increasing the use of screening, particularly in currently underserved populations. Our findings provide further evidence for the benefits to patients of receiving regular screening for colorectal cancer.

Medical Research: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?

Response: Our study did not look at population subgroups in great details. Future studies are needed to examine the extent to which non-screening contributes to colorectal cancer deaths in different population groups.

Citation:

Colorectal Cancer Deaths Attributable to Nonuse of Screening in the United States
Reinier G.S. Meester, M.Sc.^, Chyke A. Doubeni, M.D., M.P.H., Iris Lansdorp-Vogelaar, Ph.D, Ph.D., S.L. Goede, M.Sc., Theodore R. Levin, M.D., Virginia P. Quinn, Ph.D.,Marjolein van Ballegooijen, M.D.,Douglas A. Corley, M.D., Ph.D.Ann G. Zauber, Ph.D
Annals of Epidemiology Available online 5 December 201

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Last Updated on January 2, 2015 by Marie Benz MD FAAD