How we know if we're succeeding
Measuring ourselves: colorectal cancer screening
The basic facts
- Colorectal cancer is a leading cause of cancer death in the U.S.
- It is a slow-growing cancer, often developing over many years; when
colorectal cancer is found and treated early, the 5-year survival rate is
90%
- More than 1/3 of deaths from this cancer could be avoided if
people over age 50 had regular screening tests, yet fewer than half of U.S.
adults over age 50 have been tested
- National guidelines recommend that men and women age 50 and older have
at least 1 of the recommended screening tests for colorectal cancer
Our mission is to educate patients, consumers and health care providers
about recommendations for colorectal cancer screening, and to increase screening
rates for Aurora patients age 50 and older.
We measure the number of Aurora patients between the ages of 51 and 80 who
have had 1 of the recommended screening tests for colorectal cancer.
In 2006, 60% of our patients age 51-80 have been screened for
colorectal cancer. Since this initiative began, we have seen a steady increase
in the number of screening procedures in patients age 50 and older.

n = number of patients in sample measured
In 2006, we are putting additional plans in place for getting the word
out about screening.
For more information on colorectal cancer and the recommended screening
tests, click here.