ADVOCACY SPOTLIGHT
Advocating For Access to Preventive Care ASCA supports ASCs in the fight against colorectal cancer. BY MORGAN HANSON
M
arch is National Colorectal Can- cer Awareness Month and ASCs
are leading the way in promoting early detection by providing early screen- ings and advocating for sensible poli- cies that support access to care. ASCs play a vital role in ensuring patient access to preventive measures, such as colonoscopies, in a conve- nient and affordable setting. In ASCs across the country each day, highly skilled physicians screen patients in a relaxed, personal environment and at a lower cost than hospitals. The aver- age cost to both patients and insurers is roughly half in an ASC than in other settings. Still, only about half of the colonoscopies done on Medicare pa- tients are performed in ASCs. This month, ASCA will join with
several other organizations to present a special briefing on Capitol Hill to discuss the challenges facing the fight against colorectal cancer and ways that ASCs can continue to play an in- tegral role.
The Disease According to the American Cancer Society, colorectal cancer is the sec- ond leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the US. In 2012, an estimat- ed 143,000 new cases were expected to be diagnosed and more than 51,600 people were expected to die as a result of the disease.
The majority of colorectal cancers arise
from pre-cancerous growths in the colon called polyps. Polyps are common in most adults, and be- come more prevalent with age. Un- addressed, polyps have the potential to become cancerous. Detecting and removing polyp growths through a screening colonoscopy has been prov-
28 ASC FOCUS MARCH 2013
en to reduce colorectal cancer deaths significantly
Once a malignant tumor forms, the
rate of curability and survival descends rapidly. At Stage I, colorectal cancer has an average cure rate of approximately 74 percent, according to Preventing Colorectal Cancer (PCC), a nonprofit (
www.preventcolorectalcancer.org) dedicated to educating the public about the opportunities to reduce colorectal cancer that screenings and other care options provide. As the cancer progress- es, that rate drops sharply. At Stage II, the average cure rate is 54 percent; at Stage III, 37 percent; and at Stage IV, less than 6 percent. Removing polyps before they can
progress to a cancerous state reduces an individual’s chances of dying from colorectal cancer and is more cost- effective. Current estimates to treat a stage IV cancer patient run as high as $310,000 per year, according to PCC.
The Antidote Every year, colonoscopies prevent colorectal cancer in thousands of people by catching it during its early curable stages. Yet, one in three adults between the ages of 50 and 75 are not up to date with recommended colorec- tal cancer screenings that, experts say, could save their life. A July 2011 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report stated that between 2003 and 2007, approximately 66,000 colorectal can- cer cases were prevented and 32,000 lives saved when compared to projec- tions based on 2002 statistics. The re- port attributed half of these prevented cases and deaths to screening. As part of an effort to foster pre-
ventive care, the Affordable Care Act eliminated patient cost sharing for screening colonoscopies. Screen- ing colonoscopies are colonoscopies performed to detect colon cancer in
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