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Colorectal Cancer Screening
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Facts:
- In 2002, the New Mexico Tumor Registry estimated that colorectal cancer
would be diagnosed in 734 New Mexicans and cause 306 deaths.
- Colorectal cancer is the 4th most frequently diagnosed cancer in NM and
is the 2nd leading cause of cancer death.
- Clinical studies have suggested that many of these deaths and new cases
may be preventable with appropriate cancer screening.
- Screening detects early-stage cancers, which can be very curable with surgery,
and pre-cancerous polyps, which can be removed by colonoscopy or surgery.
- Less than half of New Mexicans age 50 and older are up to date on their
colorectal cancer screening—either a recent hemoccult test and/or endoscopy.
- Just over half of the colorectal cancers diagnosed in NM are found at an
advanced stage - when these cancers are less curable.
Goal:
- To increase colorectal screening across New Mexico for ages 50 and up using
any of the following tests: Fecal Occult Blood Testing (FOBT), Flexible Sigmoidoscopy,
Dual Contrast Barium Enema (DCBE) or Colonoscopy.
CPI Intervention:
- The workgroup created a handbook for health care providers which has information
on colorectal cancer epidemiology, screening, treatment, prognosis, resources,
and reimbursement issues. The handbook is accredited for a maximum of 4 credit
hours of continuing medical education. The first edition was published in
October 2002, the second edition in August 2004.
- The workgroup surveyed providers to assess endoscopic screening capacity
statewide. The analysis was presented at the Digestive Disease Week Conference
in Florida, May 2003 and was published as an article in the January 2005 edition
of the CDC online journal "Preventing Chronic Disease: Public Health
Research, Practice and Policy."
- The workgroup collaborated with the Arizona Cancer Center to convene
the second New Mexico-Arizona summit on Colorectal Cancer Screening Capacity
Building, Dialogue for Action II, June 16-17, 2005 in Tempe, AZ.
- House Joint Memorial 74 requested the Department of Health to create a task
force to investigate the issues concerning insurance coverage for and access
to screening and detection for colorectal cancer. Several members of the CPI
Colorectal Cancer workgroup participated on this task force which reported
to the appropriate interim committee of the legislature in October 2003.
Resources:
Committee Chairs: Richard Hoffman MD, MPH rhoffman@unm.edu
& Jane Cotner, MPH jcotner@salud.unm.edu
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an article by the CPI workgroup which appears in the
January 2005 edition of the CDC Online Journal "Preventing Chronic Disease:
Public Health Research, Practice, and Policy."