Prevention

- Colorectal Cancer Screening

Colorectal Cancer (CRC) is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer and the second most common cause of cancer death in the United States. The lifetime risk of being diagnosed with CRC is about 5.9 percent in men and 5.5 percent in women.

While mortality rates for CRC have been declining in recent years, the most current mortality rate available for CRC is 30 percent. This figure demonstrates a continued need and significant room for improvement in the indicator, and is the basis for our work on this initiative.

According to the 2006 Illinois Behavioral Factor Surveillance System Survey, 52 percent of Illinois residents between ages 50 and 64, and 33.7 percent of Illinois residents 65 and older have never had a sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy. Early detection and treatment are the best defenses against colorectal cancer. The five-year survival rate for cancers caught early is more than 90 percent.

The Illinois Foundation for Quality Health Care (IFQHC) is working with practices to utilize their Electronic Health Record system to reduce CRC mortality and the incidence of late-stage detection among Medicare beneficiaries. We will assist with developing action plans and workflow processes to efficiently capture, track, and generate data in order to ensure appropriate preventive care management of colorectal cancer screening.

Current Medicare coverage for people aged 50 and older includes screenings in several categories. For further details, check the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Web site at http://www.medicare.gov/Health/Overview.asp or contact the Prevention Team at 1-800-386-6431.

Click here for CRC resources and publications