1997/05/14 -
The American Cancer Society today (May 14) announced
revised guidelines for the early detection of colorectal cancer
at a press conference in Washington, D.C. The press
conference was part of Digestive Disease Week, the annual
medical meeting for gastrointestinal specialists. The Society's
revised guidelines were approved at its national Board of
Directors meeting in March in Atlanta.
Colorectal cancer is one of the nation's most common cancers in
men and women, and is the second leading cause of cancer death.
Approximately 131,200 new cases expected this year in the United
States. Over a lifetime, colorectal cancer will strike one in 17
Americans.
For people with an average risk, the Society now recommends two
courses of action beginning at age 50, from which the individual
and his or her physician can choose. The first option includes
annual fecal occult blood (stool blood) tests, together with a
flexible sigmoidoscopy and digital rectal exam every five years.
The second option is a total colon exam, either by colonoscopy
with digital rectal exam every 10 years, or by double contrast
barium enema with digital rectal exam every 5-10 years.
People should begin colorectal cancer screening earlier and/or
undergo screening more often if they have any of the following
colorectal cancer risk factors (at ages and intervals
recommended in the new guidelines):
- a personal history colorectal cancer or adenomatous polyps
- a strong family history of colorectal cancer or
polyps (cancer or polyps in a first degree
relative younger than 60 or in two first degree relatives of any
age)
- a personal history of chronic inflammatory bowel
disease
- families with hereditary colorectal cancer syndromes
(familial adenomatous
polyposis and hereditary non-polyposis colon cancer).
The fecal occult blood test can detect hidden blood in the
stool. A specimen is obtained at home and returned for analysis.
In sigmoidoscopy, the physician uses a flexible lighted tube or
a fiberoptic sigmoidoscope to inspect the rectum and lower
colon. Colonoscopy uses a similar instrument to examine the
entire colon, and barium enema is an x-ray procedure in which
the intestines are viewed.
Early detection of colorectal cancer clearly saves lives. When
detected in its earliest stage and treated promptly, the disease
has a relative five-year survival rate of 91%. After the cancer
has spread regionally, the rate drops to 63%, and if it has
spread to distant parts of the body, just 7% survive. Only 37%
of colorectal cancers are detected in the earliest stage;
thousands more lives could be saved if more cases of colorectal
cancer were detected earlier.
Previously, the American Cancer Society's guidelines for
colorectal cancer screening included annual digital rectal exam
starting at age 40, and sigmoidoscopy every 3-5 years after age
50. The changes take into account the most recent research on
colorectal cancer screening and the improved accuracy of medical
diagnostic tests.
Joann Schellenbach
National Director Media Relations
American Cancer Society
212-382-2169
jschelle@cancer.org
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