A new study shows that health care providers play a key role in the likelihood their patients are screened for colorectal cancer.
The findings suggest that interventions targeting both the provider and the patient are needed to boost colorectal cancer screening rates, and in particular must take into account patient barriers such as concerns about payment and worries that cancer will be discovered. The study is published in the March 15, 2008 issue of CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society.
Colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer death in both men and women in the United States. While there has been a growing recognition of the importance of colorectal cancer screening in reducing cancer mortality, national screening rates remain relatively low.
To assess the potential barriers to screening, Dr. Melissa M. Farmer, a VA career development awardee, analyzed data from a study conducted at UCLA's Jonsson Comprensive Cancer Center and the UCLA School of Public Health. Dr. Farmer and colleagues examined trends and predictors of colorectal cancer screening from telephone surveys done prior to and after a quality improvement intervention for screening within a large managed care health plan. The study design allowed them to examine issues related to screening in a setting in which access to care is not a barrier.
Survey participants included 498 individuals aged 50 years and older surveyed in 2000 and 482 individuals in the same age group surveyed in 2003. The researchers assessed whether individuals received colorectal cancer screening within specified guidelines, including a fecal occult blood test every year, sigmoidoscopy every 5 years, or colonoscopy every 10 years.