March 26, 2012
March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month - Encourage Your Patients to Get Screened
Studies have repeatedly demonstrated that a physician's recommendation is the most powerful factor in a patient's decision to receive preventive and screening services. March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month; encourage your patients age 50 and older to get screened.
Resources to Support Decision-Making:
Cancer screening decisions, like other medical decisions, require weighing the harms and benefits, especially among chronically-ill patients. These persons may be at risk for adverse screening outcomes or have a life expectancy that is shorter than any survival benefit from cancer screening. In addition, patient preferences and values must be considered in decisions regarding screening and what test is most appropriate. Several articles shed some light on these issues:
- Walters LC, Covinsky KE. Cancer screening in elderly patients: a framework for individualized decision-making. JAMA. 2001, Jun 6;285(21):2750-6.
- Walters LC, Lewis CL, Barton MB. Screening for colorectal, breast, and cervical cancer in the elderly: a review of the evidence. Am J Med. 2005, Oct;118(10):1078-86.
The American Cancer Society has developed materials to help support practitioners in discussing colorectal cancer screening with their patients. These resources include reminder letters, phone reminder scripts, brochures, and wall charts, and are available for download or order
.
The National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable has also published a report that describes the components of a quality screening colonoscopy referral system in primary care practice:
- Sifri R, Wender R, Lieberman D, Potter M, Peterson K, Smith R. "Developing a Quality Screening Colonoscopy Referral System in Primary Care Practice: A Report from the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable
". CA Cancer J Clin 2010;60;40-49; originally published online Dec 18, 2009.
What Can You Do?
Discussing colorectal cancer screening and the various options available can be challenging, especially with older, chronically-ill patients. Engage patients in decision-making regarding their options, as it is important for promoting appropriate screening among older adults. Colorectal cancer is preventable, treatable, and beatable. Encourage your patients to get screened – it could save their lives.
More Information for Healthcare Providers:
- MLN Guide to Medicare Preventive Services for Healthcare Professionals
(see Chapter 11) - MLN Preventive Services Educational Products webpage

- MLN Cancer Screenings brochure

- MLN Quick Reference Information: Medicare Preventive Services (No Longer Available)
- National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable

- National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month website

- The National Cancer Institute website

CMS.gov Website Upgrade - Please take note that CMS is in the process of making upgrades to the http://www.CMS.gov
website. If you encounter problems accessing information while on the site, please refresh the page or check back later. We appreciate your understanding and apologize for any inconvenience.

