A higher incidence of screenings and increased colon cancer awareness has led to a 30% drop in cases of the disease, with findings from a recent study suggesting a positive trend.
While rates of the disease have been decreasing steadily since the 1980s, the swiftest decline yet occurred between 2001 and 2010, which saw development of the disease drop an average of three percent per year. Preceding years saw a slower - though definite - drop of two percent per year, though despite promising numbers, the disease is still the #3 cancer killer in the United States. It's estimated that 2014 will see the 136,000 new incidences of the disease, of which an approximate 50,000 will likely end in death.
The seven percent drop in cases for those aged 65 and over can largely be attributed to a jump in colonoscopy rates, with the screening procedure advancing in popularity. Of those aged 50 to 75 in the year 2000, just 19 percent underwent colonoscopies - as opposed to 55 percent of the same age group in 2010. Across all age groups, that number jumped yet higher to 65 percent of people undergoing colo-rectal screeening. The data was parsed by the American Cancer Society, who accessed key information from governmental surveys.
"These continuing drops in incidence and [death rates] show the lifesaving potential of colon cancer screening; a potential that an estimated 23 million Americans between ages 50 and 75 are not benefiting from because they are not up to date on screening," said Dr. Richard Wender, chief cancer control officer at the American Cancer Society.
Colon cancer has profound hereditary links, with those with a family history of the disease at a substantially higher risk of developing it than those without. It's also thought to be linked to a higher incidence of diabetes and obesity, and, similarly, low rates of exercise.
"People with diabetes or prediabetes have a higher amount of circulating insulin, which stimulates tumor growth. It acts like Miracle-Gro for precancerous polyps in the colon," said Dr. Otis Brawley, chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society.
Indeed, the disease is thought to be largely preventable and manageable for those without family histories, with doctors stressing the need for regular colonoscopies, which can catch cancer in its early stages. It's recommended that colonoscopies begin at the age of 50, with just one needed every 10 years.
The study was published in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, with supplementary information published in Colorectal Cancer Facts & Figures 2014-2016.
