Rebecca L. Forand , 2025-04-29 14:10:00
April 29, 2025
2 min read
Key takeaways:
- Colorectal screening rates rose from 37.4% to 79.8% between 2000 and 2019.
- Differences in screening rates between racial and ethnic groups nearly disappeared after a screening outreach program was initiated.
SAN DIEGO — Screening rates for colorectal cancers were doubled, CRC-related mortality cut in half and racial disparities nearly eliminated with a 20-year outreach program, according to study results presented at Digestive Disease Week.
“Colorectal cancer remains the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States, with longstanding differences in who gets cancer and who dies from it,” Douglas Corley, MD, PhD, research scientist at Kaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research and the study’s lead investigator, said in a media briefing prior to the meeting.
Data were derived from Corley D, Racial and ethnic differences in colorectal cancer screening and outcomes in a large integrated healthcare setting following introduction of programmatic screening: Assessment of a 20-year period.
Douglas Corley
Corley’s team evaluated data from screenings by colonoscopy, sigmoidoscopy or fecal immunochemical (FIT) kit testing, cancer diagnoses and CRC-related deaths among more than 1.1 million adults at 22 medical centers between 2000 and 2019.
In 2007, a new screening outreach program was initiated in which patients who were behind on screenings were sent FIT kits by mail.
Results showed that screening rates went up from 37.4% in 2000 to 79.8% in 2019 across all racial and ethnic groups, and deaths dropped by approximately 50% following the implementation of the screening program.
The initiative also had substantial impact on screening rates among racial and ethnic groups. In 2019, 75.9% of Hispanic patients, 77.2% of Black patients, 81.8% of white patients and 83% of Asian patients were up to date on screenings.
With increased screening rates, incidence rates of CRC also initially increased from 109.1 cases per 100,000 people in 2002 to 126.4 per 100,000 people from 2008 to 2010. These rates declined nearly 30% by 2019.
Black patients experienced the largest change in CRC-related death rates, with a decrease from 52.2 per 100,000 to 23.5 per 100,000, while the overall death rates dropped by approximately 50%.
“It is really remarkable that some of these large differences in mortality by race and ethnicity that we saw 2 decades ago, and which are found throughout the United States, are now similar to small chance variation population,” Corley said. “While we didn’t address root causes like diet or environment, it shows an equal application of an effective strategy can erase many outcome disparities.
“These show that consistent, comprehensive screening outreach for the full population without having to complete an in-person visit can make an extraordinary difference, and this model could be applied to other preventable conditions with effective intervention, such as hypertension and kidney disease,” he added.
For more information:
Douglas Corley, MD, PhD, can be reached at gastroenterology@healio.com.
Sources/Disclosures
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Corley D, Racial and ethnic differences in colorectal cancer screening and outcomes in a large integrated healthcare setting following introduction of programmatic screening: Assessment of a 20-year period. Presented at: Digestive Disease Week; May 3-6, 2025; San Diego.
Disclosures:
Corley reports receiving grants and/or research support from Pfizer and Medial Research.
