Vital Signs

CDC Releases Vital Signs


The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a new report this week, Vital Signs , tracking the progress of breast and colorectal cancer screening in the United States. The CDC estimates that at least 10,000 lives could be saved each year if more people got screened. The Affordable Care Act will greatly improve screening rates by improving access to insurance coverage and removing cost barriers to screening. The report provides solid evidence that improvements in screening rates could yield dramatic results: 1,900 colorectal cancer deaths could be prevented each year for every 10% increase in colonoscopy screenings, while 560 deaths from breast cancer could be prevented for every 5% increase in mammogram screenings.
The full report can be found at: http://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/. Liz Ward, the American Cancer Society’s vice president of surveillance and health policy research, is quoted in the Associated Press story on the report: Colon Cancer Screenings Up, Breast Rate Stalled.