Too few Americans are getting their regular cancer screenings, and Asians and Hispanics are especially likely to be left out, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on Thursday.
CDC experts used National Health Interview Survey data from 2010 to find that 72 percent of U.S. women get screened for breast cancer, below the national goal of 81 percent. Only 83 percent of women are screened for cervical cancer, although the goal is 93 percent. And just under 59 percent of adults who should be screened for colon cancer are, although the goal is a modest 70 percent.
“Screening rates for all three cancer screening tests were significantly lower among Asians than among whites and blacks. Hispanics were less likely to be screened for cervical and colorectal cancer,” they wrote. People with more education, better access to health care, and who had lived in the United States the longest were the most likely to have been screened, they found.
“Each year, approximately 350,000 persons are diagnosed with breast, cervical, or colorectal cancer in the United States, and nearly 100,000 die from these diseases,” the report reads. Cancer is the No. 2 killer of Americans, after heart disease. And despite disagreements on how often people should be screened, health experts do agree that regular cancer screening saves lives and helps people be diagnosed at earlier, easier-to-treat stages.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends regular screening of both men and women for colorectal cancer, starting at age 50 and continuing until 75. But just 59 percent of people in that age group were up to date, the CDC found. “Whites were significantly more likely to report being up-to-date than blacks or Asians. Hispanics were less likely to report being up-to-date,” the report reads.
“Financial barriers to screening might explain some of the observed disparities in cancer screening rates,” the CDC added. Several programs provide free or low-cost breast and cervical cancer screening, it noted. “The Affordable Care Act is expected to reduce financial barriers to screening by expanding insurance coverage. Breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screening are now covered free in Medicare and in newly offered private insurance plans,” the report notes.
“Other efforts are needed, such as developing systems that identify persons eligible for cancer screening tests, actively encouraging the use of screening tests, and monitoring participation to improve screening rates,” it reads.
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