According to the General Accounting Office, Louisiana's Medicare screening rate for colorectal cancer is only 8.8 percent more than five percent below the already-low screening rate of 14.1 percent nationwide. We must tell the public about the tremendous life-saving benefits of preventative screenings. Many older Americans those most susceptible to the disease do not know that Medicare pays for colorectal cancer screenings. But research shows when detected and treated early, colorectal cancer is curable in 90 percent of diagnosed cases. Knowledge is a powerful weapon in our fight against colorectal cancer.
Ignorance can be our mortal enemy.
Neither patients nor doctors should be afraid to talk with one another about colorectal cancer. The Senate Special Committee on Aging, of which I am ranking member, recently held a hearing to highlight the life-saving benefits of colorectal cancer screenings. Katie Couric, host of NBC's Today, testified about her efforts to educate the public on this deadly, yet seldom-discussed disease, having lost her husband to colon cancer at just age 42. I encourage every American to take this test it could mean the difference between life or death for you or a loved one. Now that you've finished the scorecard, count the number of boxes you checked.