Resources to Join the Fight Against Colorectal Cancer

DFWBGH employers say that cancer is one of their most costly and prevalent conditions covered in company-sponsored health plans. That’s why many employers offer and encourage preventive cancer screenings to detect early stages and forestall progression to more severe and costlier cases.

Unfortunately, COVID has had a dramatic impact on the number of cancer screenings and diagnoses, particularly those that require visits to clinics or imaging centers, such as mammograms, colonoscopies, and lung screenings. During the height of the pandemic (April 2020) screenings for breast, colorectal, and lung cancer dropped dramatically (85%, 75% and 56%, respectively) compared with 2019, mainly because numerous clinics and imaging centers were closed, and many people worried about risk of exposure to COVID, so delayed or avoided cancer screenings. The downside is that many cancers can advance rapidly, and even a few months delay in detection can mean fewer treatment options and worse outcomes, including more deaths.

March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, dedicated as such by President Clinton in February 2000. Colorectal Cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths, after lung cancer.

This month we invite all DFWBGH members to join the fight against colorectal cancer by spreading awareness of the dangers of colorectal cancer and the power of preventive screenings to detect cancer early, preempt its progression while it’s still highly treatable, and dramatically reduce deaths.

Here are some useful communication tools and resources about Colorectal Cancer Screening to encourage with your employees to get screened:

• Employer CRC Toolkit
• Employer Toolkit Newsletter
• CRC Screening Options

Special thanks to our Sponsor, Exact Sciences