Though men and women are at equal risk for colon cancer, nearly 45 percent of adults age 40 and older believe men are more likely to get colon cancer than women, according to a new national consumer survey funded by Aetna. In fact, of the 130,000 Americans diagnosed with colon cancer each year, roughly half are women.
Colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths.
Yet, among women 50 and older who took part in the survey, only 28 percent reported they plan to undergo a screening test for colon cancer in the next year, whereas 52 percent reported plans to undergo a mammogram. The American Cancer Society recommends annual screening for colon cancer for average-risk adults 50 and older. The survey also examined men's intent to undergo screening for colon cancer. And of all respondents 50 and older, the survey found that just 38 percent said they had been screened for colon cancer in the last two years. Aetna underwrote the national survey of nearly 950 adults in cooperation with Bruskin Research as part of their ongoing public education efforts about colon cancer.