Benefits of Screening for Colorectal Cancer

Among cancers that affect both men and women, colorectal cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States.

COLORECTAL CANCER facts

  • 141,902 new cases of colorectal cancer were reported in 2021, and 52,967 people died of this cancer in 2022.

  • African American and American Indian and Alaska Native people have the highest rates of new colorectal cancer cases.

  • African American people have the highest rates of colorectal cancer deaths.

The high cost of colorectal cancer

In 2020, the cost of colorectal cancer care was $24.3 billion:

  • Colorectal cancer has the second highest treatment cost of any cancer, accounting for 11.6% of all cancer treatment costs

  • The cost for medical services was $23.7 billion and $0.6 billion for prescription drugs.

  • The average per-patient costs for oral prescription drugs were highest for the last year of life ($1,400), followed by the initial care phase ($400) and continuing care phase (about $200).

What is Working?

The most effective way to reduce the risk of colorectal cancer is routine screening, beginning at age 45, for people who are at average risk. Screening tests can find precancerous polyps so they can be removed before they turn into cancer. Screening tests also can find colorectal cancer early, when treatment is most effective.

However, fewer than 35% of colorectal cancers are found at an early stage. In 2020, only 70% of adults aged 50 to 75 were up-to-date with screening by fecal immunochemical test (FIT), sigmoidoscopy, or colonoscopy.

Colon cancer screening can:

  • DECREASE the number of people diagnosed with colorectal cancer. Increasing screening prevalence to 80% could reduce the number of people diagnosed with colorectal cancer by 22% by 2030.

  • REDUCE deaths. Increasing screening prevalence to 80% could reduce deaths from colorectal cancer by 33% by 2030.

  • PREVENT or detect cancer sooner when it is easier to treat. Almost 89% of adults diagnosed with colorectal cancer at an early stage live for 5 years or more, compared to only 16% of those diagnosed with late-stage cancer.

  • REDUCE health care spending. Increasing screening prevalence to 70% among adults age 50 to 64 could reduce Medicare spending by $14 billion* by 2050.

 
 
References
  1. Cancer Statistics Working Group. U.S. Cancer Statistics Data Visualizations Tool, based on 2021 submission data (1999–2021). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and National Cancer Institute. Updated June 2024. Accessed July 2024. www.cdc.gov/cancer/dataviz
  2. National Cancer Institute. Financial burden of cancer care. Cancer Trends Progress Report. Reviewed March 2024. Accessed July 2024. https://progressreport.cancer.gov/after/economic_burden
  3. U.S. Preventive Services Task Force; Davidson KW, Barry MJ, Mangione CM, et al. Screening for colorectal cancer: US Preventive Services Task Force recommendation statement. JAMA. 2021;325(19):1965–1977. doi:10.1001/jama.2021.6238
  4. Use of colorectal cancer screening tests. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Updated November 3, 2021. Accessed November 7, 2022. https://www.cdc.gov/colorectal-cancer/use-screening-tests/index.html
  5. White A, Thompson TD, White MC, et al. Cancer screening test use — United States, 2015. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2017;66:201–206.
Jaime Hann