CDC awards $22,800,000 to increase colorectal cancer screening

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced today it has awarded a total of $22,800,000 to 24 state health departments, as well as six universities, and one American Indian tribe to increase colorectal screening. The grants, awarded in a competitive process, are designed to increase colorectal (colon) cancer screening rates among men and women aged 50 to 75 years.

“Colorectal cancer is the second leading cancer killer of both men and women in the United States, but most colorectal cancer can be prevented,” said Tom Frieden, M.D., M.P.H., director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Screening saves lives and funds we are providing the states will support doctors, nurses, and others to save lives."

Colorectal cancer screening can find precancerous polyps—abnormal growths in the colon or rectum—so they can be removed before turning into cancer. Screening also helps reduce deaths due to colorectal cancer.

The grantees receiving the awards are:

“We are enthusiastic about these grantees promoting more colorectal cancer screening,” said Lisa Richardson, M.D., M.P.H., director of CDC’s Division of Cancer Prevention and Control. “We know that colorectal cancer screening can prevent illness and death from colorectal cancer. The more people that are screened, the fewer cases of this cancer we’ll see in the future.”

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends colorectal cancer screening for men and women aged 50–75 using high-sensitivity fecal occult blood testing (FOBT), sigmoidoscopy, or colonoscopy. CDC is requiring all grantee Colorectal Cancer Control Programs (CRCCP) to work with health systems partners to use a combination of evidence-based strategies to increase the number of people screened. These evidence-based strategies include patient and provider reminders, provider assessment and feedback as recommended by the Task Force on Community Preventive Services. They will implement these strategies considering the unique needs and situations of their health systems partners.

Each grantee must target their services towards the following:

• Adults 50-75 years of age without symptoms;
• Low-income, under- or uninsured, racial and ethnic groups disproportionately affected and/or with geographic barriers to screening;
•  At-risk populations.

Moreover, six of the 31 grantees have been awarded additional funds to provide direct colorectal cancer screening and follow-up services to people who meet specific criteria:

Moreover, six of the 31 grantees have been awarded additional funds to provide direct colorectal cancer screening and follow-up services to people who meet specific criteria:

Since the program’s inception in 2009, CRCCP has provided almost 55,000 colorectal cancer screening exams and diagnosed 165 colorectal cancers and 8,441 cases of precancerous polyps. In program year 2014, CRCCP screened 13,425 people for colorectal cancer.

For more information about CDC’s Colorectal Cancer Control Program, visit https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/crccp/.

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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES