CDC: Colorectal cancer screening rates nearly double over 15 years

More than six in 10 men and women surveyed in 2015 reported receiving recommended screening tests for colorectal cancer, nearly double the rate in 2000, according to a new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The rate at which women reported receiving the recommended cervical cancer screening fell to 83% from 88% over the period, while the breast cancer screening rate was essentially unchanged at 72%, the agency said. Screening rates were lowest among adults who lacked health insurance and a usual source of care. “Screening for cervical, breast and colorectal cancer is key to preventing cancer or finding cancers at an early stage, when they are most treatable,” said Lisa Richardson, M.D., director of CDC’s Division of Cancer Prevention and Control. “We will continue successful programs that have increased screening rates and will look for new ways to reach people who are not getting recommended cancer screenings.”