Indicator Profile of Colorectal Cancer Screening
Why Is This Important?
Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the U.S. and Utah. Screening for this cancer is important as deaths can be substantially reduced when precancerous polyps are detected early and removed. The chance of surviving colorectal cancer exceeds 90% when the cancer is diagnosed before it has extended beyond the intestinal wall.(1)Several scientific organizations recommend that routine screening for colorectal cancer begin at age 50 for adults at average risk. Persons at high risk may need to begin screening at a younger age. Routine screening can include either an annual fecal occult blood test (FOBT), and/or flexible sigmoidoscopy every five years, or colonoscopy every ten years, or barium enema every five to ten years. A randomized clinical trial has demonstrated that annual screening with FOBT can reduce colorectal cancer deaths by 33% in individuals over age 50.(2) The National Cancer Institute advises each individual to discuss risk factors and screening options with his or her health care provider. Medicare and many insurance plans now help to pay for colorectal cancer screening.
Percentage of Persons Age 50+ Who Reported Having Had a Sigmoidoscopy or Colonoscopy in the Past 5 Years, Utah and U.S., 1993-2006
Data Notes
Age-adjusted to U.S. 2000 standard population. BRFSS colorectal cancer screening questions were asked only in odd years from 1993 to 2001 and even years from 2002 to 2006. All years for which U.S. data were available are graphed.Data Sources
Utah Data: Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, Office of Public Health Assessment, Utah Department of Health; U.S. Data: National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS);Other Views
Definition
The proportion of persons aged 50 or older who reported having a sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy within the past five years.How We Calculated the Rates
| Numerator: | The number of respondents aged 50 or older who reported having a sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy within the past five years. |
| Denominator: | The total number of survey respondents aged 50 or older excluding those who answered "don't know" or "refused" to the numerator question. |
Page Content Updated On 10/22/07,
Published on 11/01/07
