Current guidelines: begin colon cancer screening at age 45.

The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends that all people at average risk begin colon and rectal cancer screening at age 45. People at higher risk may need to be screened earlier.  

Why was the screening age lowered?

• In the U.S., about 10% of colorectal cancer cases are diagnosed in individuals under age 50.
• Young-onset rectal cancer incidence has increased at nearly two times the rate of young-onset colon cancer.
• It is predicted that by 2030, colorectal cancer will be the leading cause of cancer deaths in people ages 20-49.

Colorectal cancer screening often focuses on detecting polyps. Pre-cancerous polyps usually take about 10-15 years to develop into cancer. It is vital to find them EARLY before they have a chance to grow, spread and turn deadly, and THEN cause symptoms! 

One woman's story:

"The only risk factor I had was being 55 years old. No family history of colorectal cancer, I had no symptoms, I am physically active and eat a healthy diet. I really did not want a colonoscopy, so I had Cologuard screening instead. It came back positive! My colonoscopy showed three very large, but thankfully pre-cancerous polyps. These were removed and honestly, I believe my life was saved. GET SCREENED!"

With funding from NCDHHS, Project AWARE is able to offer SBIRT (Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment) training via Appalachian State University at no cost to the first 300 applicants!

SBIRT

• is brief
• is comprehensive
• decreases the severity of drug and alcohol use (early intervention with SBIRT saves lives and money and is consistent with overall support for patient/client wellness)
• reduces health care costs
• is used in various settings (by doctors, nurses, social workers, psychologists, counselors and other service providers)

Users of this technique employ a variety of tools including AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test), DAST (Drug Abuse Screening Test) and CRAFFT (Adolescent Screening Tool). Motivational Interviewing is at the core of SBIRT training.

There are two components to this free training; online asynchronous modules and a synchronous workshop. 

You can also register here.

November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month. A perfect time to revisit this topic!

Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable disease, disability, and death in the U.S., and smoking causes almost a half a million deaths per year.

Rural NC Road in Autumn. Photo used with permission

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Health Consequences of Smoking—50 Years of Progress: A Report of the Surgeon General. 

Medicare pays for opioid use disorder (OUD) screenings performed by physicians and non-physician practitioners.  If you diagnose your patient with OUD, they also pay for treatment services.

• Colorectal cancer was the 2nd leading cause of cancer deaths in North Carolina in 2019.
  
  
• Data from 2020 shows that 20% of people aged 50-75 in the US have never been screened for this disease.
  
  
• In March 2021, the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) changed screening recommendations to lower the age to begin screening from 50 to 45.
  

Unhealthy alcohol use is the third leading cause of preventable death in the United States. 

Risky drinking is associated with:

• Cancers of the mouth, throat, esophagus, colon, liver and breast
• Liver disease
• Stroke
• Heart Disease
• Pancreatitis
• Injuries and accidents
• Miscarriages / still birth
• Depression and Suicide

Our colleagues at the UNC Lineberger Cancer Network have a variety of live and on-demand content that may be of interest to you.  In particular, the 'Patient Centered Care' series includes topics relevant to primary care clinicians. While it is short notice for the webinar this Friday, consider saving time on your calendar for future offerings (the March 9th event may be especially relevant for you).