23 Million Skip Colorectal Cancer Screening Tests

The American Cancer Society estimates that 142,820 people will be diagnosed with colon cancer this year and 50,830 will die from it in the United States.

And unfortunately, recent findings show that many Americans are foregoing tests for colorectal cancer. Statistics show that as many as 23 million people between the ages of 50 and 75 have not been properly screened with a colonoscopy or other test option--potentially putting them at an increased risk for otherwise preventable colon cancer.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2012 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey shows that compliance with testing ranged from a high of 76.3 percent in Massachusetts to 55.7 percent in Arkansas.

As colorectal cancer-cancer of the large intestine (colon) or lower part of the digestive system-is ranked as the second leading cancer killer among men and women in the United States after lung cancer, many suffering from the health issue will continue to suffer syptoms without receiving the proper diagnostic tests or treatments.

However, Dr. Marcus Plescia, the director of the Division of Cancer Prevention and Control at the C.D.C. notes that there have been some improvements in screenings for the health issue.

 "We've been seeing improvements in screening rates," she said, according to the New York Times. "...but we're seeing some leveling off, and it shouldn't be leveling off at 65 percent."

The common screening for colon cancer includes a colonoscopy, in which a flexible tube is inserted in the rectum to view the entire length of the colon. Another test involves a fecal occult blood test and a small number of screens can be completed via sigmodioscopy, in which the last part of the large intestine is examined. 

Screenings for colon cancer usually start after age 50, in which they are every three to five years depending on findings. For those who are suffering from symptoms of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), it can start at the diagnosis of the disease and be more frequent. 

For more information, contact your doctor or healthcare provider.