 Overview
Colorectal cancer is a common cancer and common cause of death, but
it does not have to be. Effective strategies are available to reduce
the burden of this disease, but these opportunities remain mostly underutilized.
It is estimated that in 2005 over 145,000 people in the U.S. will be
diagnosed with colorectal cancer and over 55,000 will die from it.
Screening reduces deaths from the disease, perhaps by as much as 60%
or more, and, in addition, screening can actually prevent colorectal
cancer by finding precancerous polyps before they become cancer. Yet,
less than half of U.S. adults receive recommended screening tests.
Two modifiable risk factors, physical inactivity and excess body weight,
are reported to account for about a fourth to a third of colon cancers,
and effective community interventions are available to help people
increase their physical activity and change their diets. Yet, obesity
and inactivity are common problems, and these effective tools are not
commonly used.
Increasing awareness of this potential to reduce the
burden of colorectal cancer through screening and modifying risk factors
is the first step in fulfilling the promise of prevention. Surveillance
of the disease, risk factors, screening and interventions is critical
for planning community programs and for monitoring their progress.
Conquering colorectal cancer requires multi-faceted collaborations
among public health departments, health care practitioners, employers,
hospitals and community organizations to implement effective community-based
interventions.
Strategies that model the synergism of these partners
will be discussed in this program. Our case will be Frederick County,
Maryland, where creative and effective interventions are the tools
and partnership is the foundation of a healthy community.
Goal
This program will seek to increase awareness of community strategies
for screening and the prevention of colorectal cancer.
Objectives
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Describe the potential for colorectal cancer prevention through
screening.
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Identify two effective community interventions to increase
screening.
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Identify two modifiable risk factors for colorectal
cancer.
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Identify three effective community interventions to
modify risk factors.
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Describe an effective surveillance
strategy to monitor progress in interventions, screening,
risk factors, and disease burden.
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Describe a comprehensive
cancer control strategy to create effective collaborations.
Audience
Public health leaders, managers, and professionals from local and state
health departments, hospitals, community-based health organizations,
boards of health, private physician practices , federal agencies, academic
institutions and others who are concerned about reducing the incidence
of colorectal cancer through community interventions to modify risk factors
and increase screening.
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