MONDAY, Oct. 10, 2005 (HealthDay News) -- A colorectal cancer screening promotion program targeted at doctors' organizations failed to increase screening rates, a new study found.
Researchers at the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center in Los Angeles analyzed patients' charts from the 32 doctors' groups that took part in the two-year study. The data revealed no difference between those organizations that received help in using strategies to increase colorectal screening rates and those that did not have any help.
The study found that only 26 percent of eligible patients received any type of colorectal screening and only 29 percent of those patients were screened according to recommended guidelines. Patients most likely to be screened were over 60 years old, received a physical in the previous two years, and were enrolled in a physicians' organization with an integrated medical group (more organizational structure).
Colorectal cancer screening, which includes fecal occult blood tests, flexible sigmoidoscopy and colonoscopy, can help reduce the number of colorectal cancer deaths.
While some studies have found cancer screening promotional programs have been shown to be effective in tightly controlled environments, such as an individual doctor's office, few cancer screening programs have been shown to be successful in real-world, community settings, the study authors noted.
The findings appear in the November 15 issue of the journal Cancer.
More information
The U.S. National Cancer Institute has more about colorectal cancer screening.
