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Colon cancer awareness programs may be delivering results

Category: Colon

Efforts to educate the public on the importance of lab testing for colorectal cancer may be starting to pay off, as a new study has shown that individuals with more health problems are more likely to be screened. The researchers took the finding as a sign that more doctors are explaining why colorectal cancer screening is so important.

For the study, researchers from the University of Kentucky surveyed nearly 1,200 adults between the ages of 50 and 75. The results showed that individuals who had other conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease or another form of cancer, were significantly more likely to have received a lab test for colorectal cancer.

The researchers noted that public health agencies have embarked on aggressive campaigns over the past few years to encourage more individuals to seek colorectal cancer testing. These programs also encouragedoctors to explain the benefits of screening to their patients. The fact that more people who have had contact with the healthcare system have been tested is a sign that these efforts may be working.

"Doctors who see these multimorbid patients on a regular basis are more likely to remind patients about receiving regular screenings," said researcher Steven Fleming.