Cancer Screening Rates Climbing

(July 7, 2010) - The number of people being screened for two deadly cancers, colorectal and breast, is climbing. (Read about "Colorectal Cancer" "Breast Cancer") That's according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In spite of the higher screening rates, millions of people still have not had recommended screening.

Overall, the data indicate that more people are receiving recommended cancer screenings (Read about "Cancer Check-ups"), with colorectal screening increasing from 52 percent in 2002 to 63 percent in 2008. Eighty-one percent of women 50-74 years old received recommended mammography screening for breast cancer in 2008. The findings indicated that more than 22 million men and women have not had a potentially life-saving screening test for colorectal cancer and about 7 million women age 50 to 74 have not had a recent mammogram.

"It's encouraging to see more adults getting recommended cancer screenings," said Dr. Thomas Frieden, CDC director. "But we have more to do, especially when it comes to getting more people screened for colorectal cancer, which kills more American non-smokers (Read about "Quit Smoking") than any other cancer. Tragically, one in three people who should be screened for colorectal cancer have not yet done so; and rates are even lower among Hispanics and blacks."

Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States, after lung cancer. (Read about "Lung Cancer") Breast cancer is the most commonly found cancer and the second leading cause of cancer deaths among U.S. women.

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