With a swipe of a pen, Oneida, Herkimer, and Madison counties, major healthcare organizations, and several large employers will make history as they announce their commitment to increasing colorectal cancer screening throughout Mohawk Valley.
Friday’s announcement celebrates the Mohawk Valley’s commitment to achieve 80 percent by 2018; a shared goal led by the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable (NCCRT). The Roundtable was started by the American Cancer Society and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 1997.
The national percentage of adults 50 and older that are up to date with recommended colorectal cancer screening has increased from 56 percent in 2002 to 65 percent in 2010. In New York State, 69.3 percent have been screened. By focusing on target audiences – newly insured, financially challenged, insured procrastinators/rationalizers, African Americans, and Hispanics – the Mohawk Valley is in a good position to achieve 80 percent screened for colorectal cancer by the year 2018.
“80% by 2018” is a NCCRT initiative in which over 650 organizations to date have committed to substantially reducing colorectal cancer as a major public health problem and are working toward the shared goal of 80% of adults aged 50 and older being regularly screened for colorectal cancer by 2018. Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S. when men and women are combined, and a cause of considerable suffering among more than 134,000 adults diagnosed with colorectal cancer each year in the U.S. When adults get screened for colorectal cancer, it can be detected early at a stage when treatment is most likely to be successful, and in some cases, it can be prevented through the detection and removal of precancerous polyps. According to a study co-authored by American Cancer Society epidemiologist Ahmedin Jemal, if we can achieve 80% by 2018, 277,000 cases and 203,000 colorectal cancer deaths would be prevented by 2030.