July 31, 2006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
More than 50,000 South Carolina Medicaid recipients are now eligible for colorectal cancer screenings through a program administered by the SC Department of Health and Human Services. The agency is among the first major health plans in the state to offer the screenings as a disease prevention tool.
Colorectal cancer screenings will now be available to all Medicaid recipients age 50 to 64, and high-risk individuals age 40 to 64 (high-risk based on medical and/or family history). The screenings, called colonoscopies, help identify cancer and pre-cancerous polyps associated with colorectal cancer (CRC). CRC accounts for about 12 percent of all cancer cases diagnosed in South Carolina each year. About 900 residents a year die from the disease, making it the second deadliest cancer in the state behind lung cancer.
Prior to the new program, Medicaid would not cover colonoscopies as prevention screenings, but only in certain instances for diagnostic purposes. Last year, Medicaid reimbursed for about 3,600 diagnostic colonoscopies statewide. The Centers for Disease Control estimates deaths caused by CRC could be cut by as much as 60 percent if everyone over the age of 50 underwent a colonoscopy.
"The South Carolina Cancer Alliance applauds DHHS for the progressive leadership it has shown by providing colorectal cancer screening to Medicaid recipients in South Carolina,” said Dr. James R. Hebert, vice chair of the Cancer Alliance’s Coordinating Council. “Working together, we can address an important cancer disparity in our state - both by reducing the rate of this cancer and by providing research opportunities for discovering the reasons why certain groups have such high rates of this disease. "
“This is exactly the type of program we need to see more of in South Carolina,” said SC DHHS Director Robert M. Kerr. “It shows that upfront investments in detecting and preventing diseases can pay real dividends to our recipients, and to the Medicaid program as a whole.”
###
Colorectal (CRC) Facts
What is colorectal cancer?
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a cancer that occurs in the colon or rectum. Sometimes it is simply called “colon cancer” for short. As the drawing below shows, the colon is the large intestine or large bowel.
How common is the disease?
Nearly 147,000 Americans will be diagnosed with CRC this year, and more than 55,000 will die as a result. In South Carolina, more than 2,000 new cases of the disease are diagnosed each year. Nearly 900 residents die each year of CRC.
What causes CRC?
CRC is caused by a combination of family history, lifestyle and age. Obesity, poor nutrition and smoking are linked to CRC. The risk of developing colorectal cancer increases dramatically with age and 90 percent of cases occur after age 50.
How can CRC be detected?
In most cases, colon and rectum cancers develop slowly over a period of several years. Most of these cancers begin as a polyp – a growth of tissue into the center of the colon or rectum. Removing the polyp early may prevent it from becoming cancer. CRC detected a number of ways, but a colonoscopy is the most effective because it can identify small polyps even before they become cancerous.
What is a colonoscopy?
A doctor uses a thin, flexible lighted tube to look for polyps in the rectum and colon. If a polyp is found, the doctor may remove it. If anything else looks abnormal, a biopsy might be done. To do this, a small piece of tissue is taken out through the colonoscope. To make the procedure more comfortable, patients are typically sedated.
Source: Centers for Disease Control