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.