It is estimated that 30,000 lives a year could be saved through widespread screening, and advocates hope that the awareness month will lead more people to consult their doctors and physicians to more vigorously discuss prevention and perform screening tests. Approximately 135,400 new cases will be diagnosed this year, and 56,700 men and women will die from the disease.
Colorectal cancer is usually curable when it is detected early.
The fecal occult blood test is a commonly used screening method, but according to one recent study , primary care physicians do not always follow up on abnormal results with complete diagnostic evaluations. Minorities, particularly the African-American and Hispanic populations, are more likely to be diagnosed with colorectal cancer in advanced stages. In a study of 100 African-American patients seen in a primary care clinic, screening rates were significantly lower for colorectal cancer than for breast, cervix, and prostate cancer. Discomfort with or fear of the screening tests is another potential barrier to screening. Colonoscopy is viewed unfavorably by some patients, and many of the African-Americans patients studied either reported negative experiences with flexible sigmoidoscopy in the past or expressed fear of the test.