MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT


Emphasize the Importance of Early CRC Screening March is colorectal cancer awareness month.


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n its latest recommendations in June 2017, the US Multi-Society Task Force (MSTF) on Colorectal Cancer (CRC) Screening confirmed that people


at average risk should be screened beginning at age 50. The task force— made up of representatives from the American College of Gastroenterology, the American Gastroenterological Association, and the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy—recommended colonoscopy and fecal immunochemical testing (FIT) as the “first tier” screening tests for this group. Overall, the incidence of CRC in people age 50 and older is declining, the task force noted. However, there has been a rising incidence of CRC in younger Americans, for reasons that are unclear. While the relative incidence in younger people remains low, the increasing trend of young onset CRC is nevertheless a “major public health concern,” the MSTF stated in its recommendations. In addition, it suggested beginning screening earlier in the African-American population—at age 45. The MSTF re-evaluates recommendations for screening periodically as new


evidence emerges and evaluated seven different types of screening tests for this report. It ranked tests into three “tiers” according to the strength of the recommendation for average-risk people. Not surprisingly, colonoscopy was in tier 1. The American Cancer Society’s “Colorectal Cancer Facts & Figures 2017–


Seeking Authors


ASC Focus is seeking the contribution of articles by guest authors. If you have the expertise and time to write for us, we’d be interested in hearing from you.


Please see our editorial guidelines at www.ascfocus.org/about and submit your story proposal to smukerji@ascassociation.org.


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2019” (https://www.cancer.org/content/dam/cancer-org/research/cancer-facts- and-statistics/colorectal-cancer-facts-and-figures/colorectal-cancer-facts-and- figures-2017-2019.pdf) indicates that the geographic pattern of CRC has changed dramatically over the past several decades. In contrast to the 1970s and 1980s, when death rates were highest across the Northeast and lowest in the South, rates are currently highest in parts of the deep South and Midwest. Factors that contribute to geographic disparities include regional variations in risk factors and access to screening and treatment, which are influenced by socioeconomic factors, legislative policies and proximity to medical services. What are you doing to encourage CRC screening in your ASC? At our ASC, we put out radio ads, especially in February and March, reminding people about the importance of early screening. We also touch base with our referring physicians and family practice doctors to make sure that the referral process is going smoothly for them. We ask if anything needs to change on our end to make the process easier for them to refer colonoscopy patients to us. Sometimes we all can get stuck in our ways, so we consciously make an attempt to reach out and make sure that we are doing everything we can to make their job as easy as possible. In addition, we use patient feedback to help us improve overall experience. Whether it is refining our prep instructions or making it easier to schedule their procedure, commitment to continuous improvement is so important. Let us know if you have any questions about CRC screening in your ASC. Visit https://www.ascassociation.org/crca for more information.


Rebecca Craig, RN, CASC President of ASCA’s Board of Directors


ASC FOCUS MARCH 2018 | www.ascfocus.org


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