| Demographic Group: | Resident persons aged >=50 years. |
| Numerator: | Respondents aged >=50 years who report having either a fecal occult blood test (FOBT) within the previous year or a sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy exam within the previous 5 years. |
| Denominator: | Respondents aged >=50 years who report ever having or never having an FOBT and who report ever having or never having either a sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy (excluding unknowns and refusals). |
| Measures of Frequency: | Annual prevalence — crude and age-adjusted (standardized by the direct method to the year 2000 standard U.S. population, distribution 17*) — with 95% confidence interval. |
| Time Period of Case Definition: | Previous year for FOBT or previous 5 years for sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy. |
| Background: | In 2001, among adults aged >=50 years, 69% had not had an FOBT within the previous 2 years, and 54% had never had a sigmoidoscopy. During 2001, cancer of the colon and rectum caused approximately 56,700 deaths and was the second most common cause of cancer death. Approximately 148,000 new cases are diagnosed annually. The incidence of colon and rectum cancer rises sharply after age 50 years. |
| Significance: | Mortality from colon and rectum cancer can be reduced through early detection and treatment. |
| Limitations of Indicator: | A lack of scientific and clinical consensus exists concerning the choice of screening tests, the appropriate screening intervals, and the cost-effectiveness of screening. |
| Data Resources: | Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey (BRFSS).
http://statecancerprofiles.cancer.gov/risk/risk.html |
| Limitations of Data Resources: | As with all self-reported sample surveys, BRFSS data might be subject to systematic error resulting from noncoverage (e.g., lower telephone coverage among populations of low socioeconomic status), nonresponse (e.g., refusal to participate in the survey or to answer specific questions), or measurement (e.g., social desirability or recall bias). |
| Healthy People 2010 Objectives: | No objective. |
