Percent Receiving Colorectal Cancer Screenings Time Series

Some racial and ethnic categories are suppressed for privacy and to avoid misleading estimates when the relative standard error exceeds 30% or the unweighted sample size is less than 50 respondents. Margins of error are estimated at the 90% confidence level. Data Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Survey (BRFSS) Data Why This Matters Colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer death in the U.S. for men and women. Although colorectal cancer is most common among people aged 65 to 74, there has been an increase in incidences among people aged 40 to 49. Nationally, Black people are disproportionately likely to both have colorectal cancer and die from it. Hispanic residents, and especially those with limited English proficiency, report having the lowest rate of colorectal cancer screenings. Racial disparities in education, poverty, health insurance coverage, and English language proficiency are all factors that contribute to racial gaps in receiving colorectal cancer screenings. Increased colorectal cancer screening utilization has been shown to nearly erase the racial disparities in the death rate of colorectal cancer. The District Response The Colorectal Cancer Control Program (DC3C) aims to reduce colon cancer incidence and mortality by increasing colorectal cancer screening rates among District residents. DC Health’s Cancer and Chronic Disease Prevention Bureau works with healthcare providers to improve the use of preventative health services and provide colorectal cancer screening services. DC Health maintains the District of Columbia Cancer Registry (DCCR) to track cancer incidences, examine environmental substances that cause cancer, and identify differences in cancer incidences by age, gender, race, and geographical location.