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Missing the Message: A Report on Colon Cancer Detection In New Jersey, 2012
Summary: Although more New Jerseyans are being screened for colon cancer compared to 10 years ago, a significant number of colon cancers still are being found at a later stage.
Colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in New Jersey. It doesn't need to be. The earlier colon cancer is found the better the chances of survival. The good news is that more people in New Jersey are taking advantage of screening tools available; but a large percentage are still finding their colon cancers at a later stage. In New Jersey, many colon cancers are still being detected at later stages when survival rates are lower.
When colon cancers are detected at an early, localized stage, the 5-year survival is 90 percent. After the cancer has spread regionally to involve adjacent organs or lymph nodes, the 5-year survival rate drops to 68 percent. For persons with distant metastases, the 5-year survival is 10 percent. A recent study confirms that one screening test, colonoscopy, can prevent colon cancer from ever developing. It allows doctors to detect and remove precancerous polyps before they become life-threatening malignancies. Use of this test has increased significantly over the past 10 years. The data shows that the incidence of colorectal cancer in New Jersey declined by 21.8 percent since the mid-1990s. Experts attribute the decline to increased screening rates.
Statewide: In New Jersey, 57% of Colorectal Cancers are Detected at a Later Stage.
The latest statewide data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey show that in 2010, 65 percent of New Jerseyansover 50 reported having had one of the tests recommended by the American Cancer Society: fecal occult blood tests or sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy.[1] Tragically, this rate is not high enough since 57 percent of colon cancers in the state are diagnosed at later stages (2004-2008).
Local: While Screening Rates Have Been Improving, Much More Needs To Be Done. In Nearly Every County, Half of All Colon Cancers are Found at Later Stages.
The accompanying table outlines rates of later stage (regional or distant stage) cancer by county throughout the state. These data reveal that in nearly all counties, more than half of all cancer diagnoses are later stage, when there are fewer treatment options and survival rates are lower.
Care should be taken in interpreting the rates presented. The actual number of cases in most counties is relatively small and the rates presented have wide margins of error, meaning that differences among counties may be due in part or entirely to statistical chance.
The Tests: There are several screening tests for colon and rectum cancer. Each has advantages and drawbacks, relative to the others.
Tests that find polyps and cancer:
Tests that mainly find cancer:
|
Incidence Rates |
Mortality Rates |
Percent Diagnosed at Later Stage |
|||||||
|
County |
1994-1998 |
2004-2008 |
% Change Over Time |
1994-1998 |
2004-2008 |
% Change Over Time |
1994-1998 |
2004-2008 |
% Change Over Time |
|
New Jersey |
65.6 |
51.3 |
-21.8% |
25.4 |
18.7 |
-26.4% |
62.5% |
57.1% |
-8.6% |
|
Atlantic |
69.4 |
53.5 |
-22.9% |
27.9 |
18.8 |
-32.6% |
54.6% |
48.9% |
-10.6% |
|
Bergen |
64.5 |
47.9 |
-25.7% |
24.7 |
17.3 |
-30.0% |
61.4% |
56.1% |
-8.6% |
|
Burlington |
68.4 |
52.6 |
-23.1% |
25.4 |
19.1 |
-24.8% |
63.9% |
58.0% |
-9.2% |
|
Camden |
67.8 |
55.0 |
-18.9% |
24.8 |
19.8 |
-20.2% |
63.2% |
55.7% |
-11.9% |
|
Cape May |
68.8 |
52.4 |
-23.8% |
24.5 |
21.3 |
-13.1% |
61.0% |
55.6% |
-8.8% |
|
Cumberland |
59.1 |
50.7 |
-14.2% |
25.8 |
21.0 |
-18.6% |
60.3% |
53.4% |
-11.4% |
|
Essex |
64.3 |
49.8 |
-22.6% |
25.7 |
20.1 |
-21.8% |
60.6% |
55.6% |
-8.3% |
|
Gloucester |
70.5 |
56.1 |
-20.4% |
27.6 |
20.9 |
-24.3% |
59.6% |
54.0% |
-9.3% |
|
Hudson |
66.8 |
52.3 |
-21.7% |
28.2 |
20.5 |
-27.3% |
63.1% |
56.9% |
-9.8% |
|
Hunterdon |
67.3 |
44.6 |
-33.7% |
25.0 |
16.8 |
-32.8% |
58.6% |
61.2% |
4.5% |
|
Mercer |
64.8 |
52.3 |
-19.3% |
26.4 |
17.7 |
-33.0% |
65.1% |
52.2% |
-19.9% |
|
Middlesex |
65.0 |
50.8 |
-21.8% |
25.8 |
17.0 |
-34.1% |
65.4% |
61.1% |
-6.6% |
|
Monmouth |
68.4 |
51.7 |
-24.4% |
27.2 |
19.2 |
-29.4% |
64.8% |
60.8% |
-6.2% |
|
Morris |
65.3 |
48.8 |
-25.3% |
22.3 |
17.2 |
-22.9% |
63.5% |
57.0% |
-10.4% |
|
Ocean |
67.1 |
53.9 |
-19.7% |
23.5 |
19.5 |
-17.0% |
65.9% |
62.3% |
-5.4% |
|
Passaic |
62.1 |
47.3 |
-23.8% |
26.3 |
19.7 |
-25.1% |
61.3% |
52.3% |
-14.7% |
|
Salem |
69.5 |
53.0 |
-23.7% |
31.6 |
19.1 |
-39.6% |
52.6% |
48.1% |
-8.6% |
|
Somerset |
54.7 |
50.3 |
-8.0% |
22.8 |
16.1 |
-29.4% |
64.3% |
61.8% |
-3.9% |
|
Sussex |
65.9 |
51.9 |
-21.2% |
26.2 |
18.9 |
-27.9% |
60.8% |
60.4% |
-0.7% |
|
Union |
63.8 |
52.6 |
-17.6% |
24.4 |
18.4 |
-24.6% |
63.6% |
57.1% |
-10.2% |
|
Warren |
68.0 |
50.9 |
-25.1% |
23.4 |
16.9 |
-27.8% |
52.4% |
53.7% |
2.5% |
[1] New Jersey Dept. of Health & Senior Services, State Cancer Registry, 2011 and American Cancer Society Facts & Figures, 2011
After months of delay and hard negotiations, Congress has finally passed a funding bill! The bill includes a small increase for cancer research and prevention programs.